Iran News Round Up

[Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his compilation; (E) signifies English link]

Politics

• Khatami-camp theoretician Tajzadeh explains challenges to the reform movement in the electoral system of the Islamic Republic.
• Iranian presidential candidate Mehdi Karrubi’s confidants deny rumors of a heart attack.
• Ahmadinejad participates in Friday prayers in Mashhad.
• The Iranian president visits poor neighborhoods in Yasuj.
• Kargozaran technocratic faction’s Atrianfar says the reformists might not have a candidate of their own for presidency and could support Ali-Akbar Velayati should he run for presidency.
• Khatami interior minister Abdollah Nouri says he only will run for presidency if Khatami doesn’t, and only if all reformist groups agree upon his candidacy and pledge loyalty to him even in case the Council of Guardians disqualifies him.
• Parviz Fattah may leave the Energy Ministry to become first vice president.
• Dahmardeh, newly-appointed general governor of Kerman and a doctor of mathematics, says he will sacrifice another three camels as a sign of his gratitude.

Diplomacy

• Mojahedin-e Enghelab organization, which leans to the left within the Islamic Republic political spectrum, applauds U.S.-Iran negotiations and urges the authorities to be forward-thinking and save the country from dangers rather than backward to correct past wrongs committed by the United States.
• According to Agah-Sazi, the Islamic Republic authorities are looking for “an important personality” to send to Washington D.C. to negotiate establishment of a U.S. Interest Section in Tehran.
• President Ahmadinejad on the Geneva negotiations: the “U.S. representative was soft-spoken and respectful.”
• The British representative—who Ahmadinejad called the “representative of old imperialism” was “impolite.”
• Ahmadinejad: “Iran will not withdraw a single centimeter when it comes to our nuclear rights.”
• (E) Rafsanjani dismisses calls for nuclear enrichment freeze.
• (E) Russia opposes any deadlines on nuclear talks.
• Armenia offers to mediate between Iran and the United States.
• Aghazadeh, head of the Islamic Republic’s Nuclear Energy Organization, to meet with IAEA’s Elbaradei.
• Expediency Council Chair Rafsanjani promises a $1 million reward for anyone providing the Council with news of the four allegedly “kidnapped” Iranian diplomats in Beirut.
• Foreign Ministry official Abbas Maleki discusses the Islamic Republic’s acceptance of the U.N. Security Council Resolution 598 that led to a ceasefire between Iran and Iraq in 1988.
• (E) Ahmadinejad due in Turkey next month.
• Senior presidential advisor Mashayi for the second time denounces his earlier remarks on friendship between the nations of Iran and Israel, calls Israel a “cancerous tumor.”
• Tells Raja News that “Israel will soon disappear,” and that the “Israeli state has proved too expensive for the Jews.”
• Senior presidential advisor Hashemi Samareh says the Islamic Republic is the vanguard of justice-seeking in the world.
• Student activists demonstrate in front of Egypt’s interest section in Tehran against an Egyptian film director’s plans to make the film: “Khomeini, the Imam of Blood.”
• Egyptian police raid Iranian television Al-’Alam’s Cairo bureau.
• Diplomasi-ye Irani’s analysis of the latest Egypt-Iran crisis.
• Khatami vice president Ebtahi says the current Egypt-Iran crisis is the result of inviting radicals elements to decide foreign policy during the Khatami-era.

Economy

• Expediency Council member Majid Ansari says Ahmadinejad’s economic reform scheme counters all past economic planning in the Islamic Republic.
• Alef News Agency’s Ali Nowrouzi criticizes the imprecise formulation of the form distributed among Iranian citizens to enable transfer of cash to the public as part of Ahmadinejad’s economic reform scheme.
• Mehdi Hashemi Rafsanjani, son of the Ayatollah Rafsanjani, says that the economic reform scheme of the government is inflationary and will increase imports, but is nevertheless is a good move.
• Talking to the clergy of Yasuj, Ahmadinejad stressed that his government is engaged in a full scale war against the enemy in the economic front.
• Acting Economy and Finance minister Semsami says he will reduce the U.S. Dollar-Rial gap by revaluating the Iranian currency.
• Semsami denies report on dollar-rial exchange rate gap.
• The Central Bank of the Islamic Republic is contemplating removing zeros from the Iranian currency.
• Most Iranians are totally ignorant if “Iran-e 1404,” the Islamic Republic’s development scheme.
• Asr-e Iran publishes next week’s black out schedule for Tehran.
• (E) Iran boosts gasoline imports.

Trade

• German Steiner Company to invest $100 million in Iran’s oil and gas sector.

Media

• Islamic Republic of Iran Voice and Vision Channels 2, 3 and 6 experience serious problems in domestic broadcasts.
• Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance says the Iranian branch of PEN is illegal.
• Hamshahri banned, but executive director denies.
• Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting director Zarghami says broadcast problems in the provinces are due to electricity shortages.

Military and Security

• Revolutionary Guards commander ‘Alayi says the end of the Iran-Iraq war was decided by politicians and not by the Islamic Republic’s military performance on the front.
• The Islamic Republic soon to expand its air defense system with Russian build S-300s.
• Russia’s defense industry says it has no plan to sell air defense systems to the Islamic Republic.
• Iran and Pakistan discuss Jundallah terrorist group.
• Revolutionary Guards commander in chief Ja’fai says the IRGC is readying itself for domestic unrest sparked by foreigners.
• External enemies try to use “domestic mercenaries” to topple his government.

Human Rights and Labor

• 600 workers of Alborz Tire Company continue demonstrations because of unpaid wages.
• (E) Another Bus Drivers Union leader arrested.
• Azad University student activist Vodoud Assadi arrested in his home in Rasht.
• Ethnic equality activist Abed Tavanche begins his eight-month prison sentence in Arak.

Religion, Culture, and Society

• Asr-e Iran says Western fashion designers are increasingly using headscarves for ladies’ fashion.
• Seyyed Sajed-Ali Naghavi, head of the Pakistani Shi’a community, assassinated.
• Al-Azhar scholar Tantavi says recognition of the Bahai faith is contrary to Islam.
• Basij scientist Zavareghi says he has made an “Islamic ecstasy pill with no side effects.”
• Iranian archeologist unearths the historical city of Jaba south of Ahwaz, which he says is impossible to explore because of unexploded ordinance from the Iran-Iraq war.
• Iraqi city of Kazemein ready for Iranian visitors.

Photos of the Day:

• Rafsanjani visits the metro extension project of Tehran.
• PBS’ Rick Steves in Iran.