Iran News Round Up

(Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his assistance in compiling)

Human Rights and Labor

Filmmaker held in Iran after stumbling upon mass grave of prisoners executed by regime.
Mizan claims persecution of Azeri political activists has increased, but is not covered by the Iranian press.
Emad al-Din Baghi, imprisoned human rights and civil society activist: “I’ll only defend myself in a court of law with the presence of a jury.”

Politics

“Reformist groups are all the same,” says representative of the Supreme Leader to the Greater Tehran Basij militia.
Ayatollah Khomeini’s grandson, Seyyed Hosayn Khomeini: “Political alternatives are to be found inside Iran.”
Unclear if Larijani will participate in upcoming parliamentary elections.

Diplomacy

Hossein Sheikh al-Eslam, member of the parliament’s national security committee: “Those who do not believe in U.S. plots to overthrow the Islamic Republic should take a look at the documents from the U.S. Den of Espionage [former U.S. embassy in Tehran]…Simpletons, this is what those people are.”
Iran reopens consulates in Erbil and Sulaimaniyah, Iraq.
Ahmadinejad to visit Bahrain soon.
Iran wants stronger defense ties with Armenia, already one of Tehran’s strongest supporters.
Prodi opposes any military action.

Nuclear Diplomacy

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman: “We do what we can to avoid a third round of sanctions.”
Head of Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran: “We do not pay the least attention to the ugly antics of the United States and the Europeans… Sanctions [against Iran] will only harm them.”
Ahmadinejad stresses continued cooperation with IAEA, but denounces UN resolutions:
“The resolutions were issued on the basis of false reports and therefore they have no credibility for the Iranian people.”
“The Iranian nation would not give up even one iota of its nuclear rights.”
“A nation which is relying on God will face no defeat or deadlock.”

Terrorism

Interpol rules against Iran. Five Iranian officials composed of former minister of intelligence and security, Ali Fallahian, Mohsen Rabbani, former cultural attaché at Iran’s embassy in Buenos Aires, Ahmad-Reza Asghari, Third Secretary at the embassy, Commander Ahmad Vahidi, former Quds Force commander and former Revolutionary Guards commander in chief, Mohsen Rezai are on Red Notice because of their part in 1994 bombing of a synagogue in Buenos Aires.
“The hands of the Zionist lobby visible”, comments Asr-e Iran.
Tabnak, mouthpiece of former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezai: “The ruling shows the shortcomings of Iran’s diplomatic apparatus.”
Official Iranian condemnation of ruling, in English.

Society, Religion, and Culture

Interior Minister: “Our nation resists imported ideas…such as liberalism and moral decay… Japan and China have lost their traditional values and have become Westoxifated… but Iranian women resist the ugly temptations of liberalism.”
Ahmadinejad tells war veterans and families of martyrs of the Iran-Iraq war: “Development of this country is dependent on us showing the ethos and principles of the martyrs.”
“Pressing need for martyrdom culture.”
Madrasa, a quarterly journal reflecting views of moderate religious intellectuals such as Mojtahed Shabestari and Abdol Karim Soroush, banned.
Raja News Agency demands closure of Shahrvand-e Emruz, a weekly edited by the editor of the now banned Shargh.

Economy and Trade

Minister of trade: “Iran soon to export cement.”
Director of cement distribution: “We experience severe shortages in cement supply.”
World Bank to grant Iran $900 million in loans.
Ahmadinejad claims unemployment in Khorasan Province of Iran could be reduced to “less than five percent.”
Ahmadinejad, in the little village of Kushak in Birjand, says “Forty percent of next years national budget for use in villages.”
Iran and Pakistan begin negotiations to finalize agreement on natural gas pipe line.
Iran 5th largest supplier of crude to EU.

Military and Security

Grand Ayatollah Hosayn-Ali Montazeri: “In case the United States should attack Iran… the people would not rise in support of the Islamic Republic.”
Supreme Leader Khamenei: “The Law Enforcement Forces should be on guard against the plots of the ill-wishers of the Iranian nation.”
Law Enforcement Forces should forcefully protect “societal security.”
“Reduced vulnerability, crisis management, and non military defense” are the three main principles of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s comprehensive preparedness plan in case of crisis, says Commander Gholam-Reza Jalali.
New deputy chief of Cultural and Ideological Indoctrination of Joint Armed Forces Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran: “Interests of the United States in the region in danger in case of attack against Iran.” In English.

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