(Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his compilation)
Politics: General
- Daftar-e Tahkim-e Vahdat [Office of the Strengthening of Unity] publishes a special issue of its electronic news site to celebrate the International Women’s Day.
- Commander Mohammad Kowsari speaks positively of Revolutionary Guards’ intervention in politics, and says it is the precondition of preserving the Islamic character of the Islamic Republic. More here.
- Alef News Agency delivers a survey of the political leanings of different news agencies.
- Ahmadinejad, commemorates the 19th century premier Amir Kabir.
- Tabnak publishes the debate of Bahonar and Mohammad-Reza Khatami, brother of the former president.
- According to a poll conducted by the Washington Post, a majority of Iranians are in favor of direct election of the Supreme Leader.
- “International Conference on Iran’s Nuclear Plans”
Politics: March 2008 Parliamentary Elections
- The reformist alliance releases platform for the eighth parliament.
- The Participation Front reformist alliance releases a communiqué addressed in which they complain about “engineered elections,” but the communiqué does not urge people to boycott the elections.
- In a communiqué, the Iran Freedom Movement, the Islamic Republic’s loyal opposition, urges the electorate to participate in elections in “competitive constituencies.”
- Mojahedin-e Enghelab-e Eslami organization releases a communiqué urging the electorate to participate in parliamentary elections, but lamenting the fact that the candidates of the organization have been barred from running for the elections.
- Tehran mayor Qalibaf supports the Principalist Alliance.
- Hossein Allah-Karam, former member of the Ansar-e Hezbollah vigilante group and current military attaché of the Islamic Republic in Croatia, returns to Tehran to defend the Ahmadinejad government in the parliamentary elections.
- Tabnak News Agency publishes the complete list of the National Trust Party’s parliamentary candidates.
- Kadkhodayee, spokesman of the Council of Guardians, explains the reasons behind the disqualification of parliamentary candidates. More here.
- Hojjat al-Eslam Ravan-Bakhsh: “Limitations on campaigning have made parliamentary elections cold.”
- Sahabi and Peyman, representatives of the “nationalist and religious” alliance boycott the parliamentary elections due to the “excessive engineering of the elections.”
- Reza Khatami “confesses” to having held a meeting with the German ambassador to Tehran and demands to know how Bahonar got a hold of information about this secret meeting.
- Asked about the difference between his National Trust Party and the reformist alliance behind former president Khatami, Mehdi Karrubi says “The Khatami reformers questioned the Islamic character of the regime, which was destructive.”
Economy and Trade
Religion, Society, Culture
- Iranian journalist Zeyd-Abadi supports the Iranian religious innovator Soroush, who, in an interview with a Dutch radio station, said the Quran is not the word of God, but the words of Muhammad.
- The office of Hojjat al-Eslam Mohi al-Din Ha’yeri Shirazi, the representative of the Supreme Leader in Fars Province and Friday prayers leader of Shiraz, calls upon the people of Fars to participate in prayers to avert drought.
Diplomacy
- Asked whether Iran would be ready to host the U.S. Secretary of State in Tehran, Jalili, the secretary-general of the Supreme National Security Council gives an emphatic “No!”
- Talks with U.S. not on Iran’s agenda.
- In an interview with Raja News, Salami Namin says former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic, Hassan Rowhani chose “timid types afraid of the West“ as a part of his negotiation team when he headed nuclear negotiations.
- Said Jalili, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic: “We have no problem with transparency [in the nuclear issue], our problem is with attempts at our disposition of our nuclear rights.” Jalili also attacked the Khatami government: “Those who suspended enrichment of uranium for two and half years should pay the price for it.”
- Commander Jazayeri of the Propaganda office of the Armed Forces: “This [U.N. Security Council] Resolution will soon be forgotten as have the resolutions before this one.”
- Members of the families of “martyrs” from the latest war in Lebanon meet with Ahmadinejad.
- The European Union prepares sanctions against Iran’s financial sector.
- Ahmad Khatami, Friday prayer leader of Tehran, says German interior minister’s support for republication of the Danish cartoons is “stupid.”
- Kuwaiti government cancels the visit of the head of Shahroudi, the head of Iran’s judiciary.
- Mrs. Rajai-Far of the Headquarters of Commemoration of the Martyrs of the World of Islam inaugurates a conference in Tehran calling for “revolutionary execution of Israeli leaders” as an act of qisas. The Israeli targets for assassination are Ehud Barak; Meir Dagan, head of the Mossad; and “Amos Yadlin, former head of military intelligence of the terrorist Zionist regime.”
Military
- Hezbollah missiles could target Dimona.
Human Rights and Labor
- Labor activists from the Sherkat-e Vahed bus drivers union publish a communiqué protesting against “outing of drivers active in labor politics.”
Picture of the Day:
- Election poster of the Principalist Alliance depicts portraits of Khomeini, Khamenei and Ahmadinejad, along with nuclear symbols and the Tehran metro.
