Iran News Round Up

(Thanks to Ali Alfoneh for his compilation)

Politics

• The doors to the Iranian parliament are reprogrammed in such a way that once the parliamentarians have used their electronic card to get in, they can’t leave the building before the session is over. This measure is taken to reduce the “anarchy” and problems with insufficient parliamentarian presence.
• Abdollah Shahbazi, official historian of the Islamic Republic, continues his polemics with Hojjat al-Eslam Rouhollah Hosseinian: “Ever since [the last prime minister of the Shah, Dr.] Shapour Bakhtiar was killed, I analyzed the murder as the work of the Israeli intelligence service, and today I know that the Supreme Leader of the Revolution has taken a similar stance. And when Dr. Ahmadinejad appointed Mr. Pour-Mohammadi to be minister of interior, in an influential article, I explained his role in inviting English-Zionist companies to Iran… I believe the sudden anger of Mr. Hosseinian and his friends against me is due to this…”
• Tehran mayor Qalibaf publishes his notes from his visit to Qom.
• Rouhollah Hosseinian considers Ali Larijani the man who can solve the crises of the Islamic Republic.
• More reporting on the Iranian president’s recent meeting with student leaders supporting the government.
• Isargaran-e Iran-e Eslami parliamentary faction choose their central committee.
• The Iranian president officially appoints Seyyed Mehdi Hashemi as acting minister of interior.
• Official text.
• Longer article.
• E’temad Melli’s background article.
• Student Basij at Tehran University invites Hojjat al-Eslam Rouhollah Hosseinian to deliver a speech on “the other side of the Khordad 2nd [reform movement.]“
• The results from the second round of parliamentary elections in Lordegan province, which resulted in revolts and left many dead and wounded in street fights, are annulled.
• Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani defends his earlier harsh criticism of Ahmadinejad, but adds the government also “deserves support.”
• Outgoing parliamentarian, Mehr-Angiz Morovatti: “Low election participation in big cities should be a warning for the regime.”
• After senior presidential advisor Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi says “the government has never promised to bring the oil money onto the tables of the people,” E’temad Melli republishes newspaper headlines with the Iranian president making that promises.

Economy

• After the Ahmadinejad government denied earlier reports that the petroleum minister admitted that the government made unauthorized withdrawals from the foreign currency exchange to import gasoline.
• Complete transcript.
• The parliamentarian Khosh-Chehreh, a trained economist, says economic pressures upon the shoulders of the Iranian public are “visible from their social behavior.”
• Head of the Butcher’s guild says the meat market is in decline because of the low purchasing power of the public.
• According to the National Bank, first class Iranian produced rice has risen 90 percent in price.
• Abrar reports moderate raise in the price of red meat and chicken, significant raise in the price of rice, and a minor raise of the price of dairy products during last week. More reporting on prices here.
• Principalist Alliance parliamentarian Hossein-Ali Shahriari: “The economic team of the government is the main reason behind rising prices.”
• Ousted economy and finance minister Danesh-Ja’fari answers questions on television. Clip.
• Danesh-Ja’fari: “In economics, a government is not judged by its intentions.”
• Minister of Oil demands $4 billion to import gasoline for the current fiscal year.
• Minister of Oil Nowzari announces 4 percent growth in petrochemical production this year.
• Minister of Oil: “We do our outmost so the oil market does not lose its sweetness.”
• Director General of the National Bank says the infrastructure and guarantees for foreign direct investment in Iran are in place.
• Construction workers hit by the housing crisis.
• The Iranian parliament attends to the matter of the foreign exchange reserve of the Islamic Republic this week.
• Economist Shakiba discusses the nature of inflation in Iran, and its difference with inflation elsewhere.
• Donya-e Eqtesad criticizes the Iranian president’s lack of understanding of the correlation between inflation and lower interest rates.
• Director General of the National Bank Mazaheri says the document presented to him by the special economics committee of the cabinet is “self contradictory.”
• Director General of the National Bank Mazaheri: “I have no intention of resigning.”
• Rafsanjani attacks the economic policies of the Ahmadinejad government. “You can’t improve the economy by geda-parvari [raising beggars],” said Rafsanjani with reference to the subsidy based economic policy of the Iranian government and added: “Whenever some bodymakes money and wants to invest or start up business you call them Taghouti [some one revolting against God, an expression usually reserved for the political and economic elites of the Pahlavi era], but they can create jobs.”
• Sarmayeh analyzes the “Increasing trend in governmental subsidies.”
• Deputy Minister of health says the subsidies for medication will be transferred directly to the insurance companies.
• Cement in its way out of the “subsidy package.” More.
• Privatization of shipping companies takes a mysterious form.
• Director General of the National Bank says one zero will be removed from bills.
• Ahmadinejad government reduces interest rates over the opposition of National Bank.
• The Ministry of Intelligence will cover strategic domestic economic affairs in its sphere of competence. More here.

Trade

• Due to controversies with Shell and Repsol, completion of development of 15th and 16th phases of South Pars Gas Field is delayed.
• But according to Sarmayeh’s report, the petroleum minister has said “Shell and Repsol will definitively remain [active] in Iran.”
• Adds that negotiations with Total continue. With regard to Crescent, Iran and United Arab Emirates are reaching an agreement, while Iran and Malaysia expect to start a joint venture. There are also some reports on Turkish and Russian participation in Iran.
• Executive director of the National Natural Gas Export Company says “Eight European and Asian banks are interested in negotiating with Iran in the field of oil and gas.”
• Development of the phases 22 & 24 of South Pars Gas Field are being negotiated with a Turkish company.
• Deputy Minister of Petroleum says China and Russia will not participate in the natural gas pipe line project, which is being negotiated with India and Pakistan.
• Chinese KAMKOU Engineering Company to invest in Chabahar International Free Trade Area.
• According to Donya-ye Eqtesad, 90 percent of Iran’s trade is administered through the ports, but shipping is slow due to slow growth of the port facilities and bottleneck problems.

Diplomacy

• Russia takes step to improve security for Russians in Iran after Iran’s intelligence ministry reports that “a terrorist plot against the Russian consulate has been foiled.”
• Asr-e Iran claims Islamic Republic authorities consider different measures to repossess a 20 hectare garden in Tehran in which the British embassy resides.
• Iraqi president says the U.S. and Iraq have accepted formation of a tripartite committee with Iran.
• UN condemns attack on Iranian diplomats in Iraq.

Military and Security

• The Islamic Republic of Iran Ministry of Intelligence claims to have neutralized a terrorist cell financed by the United States.
• Unknown Soldiers of the Imam of the Era Special Operations Unit round up members of a “U.S. related terrorist network.”
• Hezbollah claims the Iranian minister of intelligence has disclosed documents pointing at “U.S. schemes to commit terrorist acts at the Tehran International Book Fair.” More.
• Jomhouri-e Eslami’s coverage.
• English.
• The corpse of a local Law Enforcement Forces commander in Chabahar discovered at the beach.

Religion, Politics, and Society

• Official Iranian press features Holocaust denial; denies against gas chambers at Aushwitz
• Agah-Sazi news agency publishes a small piece from Majnoun weekly, in which the writer says most intellectuals and men of money in the world are Jews. Therefore, the Hezbollahi elements within the Islamic Republic of Iran power structure should pursue business or engage in intellectual affairs to counter them, rather than doing body searches of ordinary citizens in the streets.
• The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance publishes annual report.
• The Iranian president orders census on nomadic populations of Iran.
• Rafsanjani says dismantlement of Iran Azad University will leave half of the students in the country without an educational institution.
• With 411,848 illiterates in the age group 10 to 49, the Iranian capital Tehran ranks second in illiteracy in total numbers, next after Sistan va Baluchestan province.
• English.
• Commander Zare’i, former head of the Law Enforcement Forces of Greater Tehran, defends himself against allegations of frequenting prostitutes. Confessing “acquaintance with the person involved,” the commanders says he has arranged for “marriages through internet chat,” and claims his permanent wife was aware of her husband’s multiple marriages.

Media

• Government spokesman Elham says the Ahmadinejad cabinet opposes government control of the mass media.
• The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance says “the government is critical of the role of the mass media.”
• An hour of a television series on the poet Shahriyar censored because of controversies among the literati and ministry of culture and Islamic guidance.
• Editor of Zagros weekly condemned after Basij protest in Chahrmahal & Bakhtiari province.

Nuclear Issue

• According to Donya-e Eqtesad, Russia is considering Iran’s incentive package to 5+1 group.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs says “We have forced the West to recognize our nuclear rights.”
• Minister of Foreign Affairs says the Islamic Republic has not yet received an “incentive package.”
• Tehran parliamentarian and former presidential candidate Ahmad Tavakoli urges the government to show “balanced behavior in the nuclear issue, in order to reduce the [political] costs….”

Photo of the Day

• Rafsanjani in Khuzistan.