(Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his compilation and Meir Javedanfar for his suggestions)
Politics
- Ahmadinejad says his discussions of the Imam of the Era are scientific and asks why the press is ridiculing him.
- Representative from Boyeen-Zahra in the Iranian parliament says critics of the government are not critics of inflation or the nuclear program, but the enemies of the Islamic Republic, who want to dismantle it.
- Alef News Agency comments on the book of Dr. E’temad, the first head of the Iran Nuclear Energy Organization: “The book attempts to present a positive picture of foreign dominance in Iran during the Pahlavi era.”
- Alef News defends the Ahmadinejad government’s attempts to solve the housing crisis.
- Text of Ahmadinejad’s speech to Student Basij:
- [Mossadeq’s minister of foreign affairs executed by the Shah’s regime], Dr. Fatemi was a decent individual, and we can’t say because this or that person [head of the Fedayeean-e Eslam terrorist organization] ordered his assassination, then he must have been a bad person…
- Yes, we do recognize that we are doing a poor job when it comes to the media, but we have few medias [at our disposal]…”
- Ayatollah Nouri Hamedani praises the efforts of Tehran mayor Qalibaf.
- Ahmadinejad plans trip to Isfahan.
Diplomacy
- Haddad-Adel, speaker of the parliament, says no problem can be solved in West Asia without the mediation efforts of Iran.
- Two Iranian diplomats and one Iraqi employee at the Iranian embassy in Baghdad wounded in a terrorist attack.
- Hosseini, foreign ministry spokesman, condemns the terrorist attack against Iranian diplomats.
- Text of Ahmadinejad’s speech to Student Basij:
- [The Iranian academic preparing the ground for Iran US rapprochement], Houshang Amirahmadi is a nobody in the world of politics, but we have made an anti-regime giant out of him….
- Swiss foreign minister defends her approach to Iran as a model of diplomacy and business working hand-in-hand.
- Official Friday sermon focuses on condemnation of Zionism, Bush.
Economy
- Spokesman of the ministry of welfare and social security says the press exaggerates the numbers of people living under the poverty line in Iran.
- Ousted minister of economy and finance, Danesh-Ja’fari criticizes the lack of progress toward privatization in the Islamic Republic. More here.
- Text of Ahmadinejad’s speech to Student Basij:
- “In the world, inflation has reached 50, 70, even 120 percent. When it comes to basic food stuff, inflation has reached 400 percent…When the pressure is at its peak, they threatened the minister of trade because the government has imported some fruit. The minister says we have not imported fruit at all. We exported $1.7 billion of fruit, and the fruit price has been the same as back in 2005. Those questioning [and presenting a vote of no confidence to] the minister of trade, are those whose claim to principalism has deafened even the sky above us….
- Fighting against corruption is difficult. In the Turkmenistan natural gas affair, some of those who have mutual trade with them [the Turkmens] told them the time has come to stop the gas [export to Iran.]… They asked me how do you see the economic prospects? Very excellent…! Those who say the circle around the president is made up by some close to him [from the past] must understand it is normal, and necessary…
- Government spokesman Elham says increases in the wages of public servants will soon be announced.
Military and Security
- Arrested “terrorists” from the Shiraz bombing ”confess” they are the servants of the British Empire, and have been recruited by an English woman.
- The minister of intelligence on the other hand, insists the terrorists are agents of the United States.
- Asr-e Iran claims a representative from the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces will disclose new information on the military strength of Iran on Al-Manar television [Hezbollah’s station].
- Commander in chief of the Revolutionary Guards says the threats against the Islamic Republic are from within.
- Iranian Defense Minister: Israel too weak to attack Iran.
Nuclear Issue
- Representative of the Supreme Leader in the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani says “Islamic Iran has broken the monopoly…in the field of nuclear technology…”
Religion, Culture, and Society
- Larijani warns against the “Shi’a/Sunni divide propagated by the enemies of Islam.”
Public Health
- The official number of HIV patients in Iran reaches 17,270.
Human Rights and Labor
- According to Iran-e Emrooz, six religious leaders from the Bahai community have been arrested.
- More, in English.
Photos of the Day
- Tehran mayor Qalibaf visits Qom.
- (Meir Javedanfar adds: “It seems that Qalibaf is preparing the ground for his presidential campaign by visiting important religious figures in Qom… When it comes to getting close to the clergy there, I would say he is ahead of Ahmadinejad, and behind Larijani. Ali’s move to represent Qom in the Majlis was a very smart one)
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