Iran News Round Up

[Thanks to Ahmad Majidyar for his compilations; (E) designates English link]

Military and Security

• (E) Russian reportedly has decided not to sell S-300 anti-aircraft systems to Iran.
• Pajhwok reports on the arrest of one Iranian and a Pakistani national in connection with last week’s blast in western Afghanistan. Remote-controlled explosives were planted under a small bridge near Herat governor’s residence on Saturday.
• (E) Iran views Israeli strike as US attack.

Human Rights and Labor

• (E) Kurdish prisoners of conscience in Iran.
• (E) Mansour Osanlou, leader of Iran’s first independent trade union, returned to prison because “he talks.”
• (E) Afghan News Agency reports that a great number of Afghan youth and young children are trafficked to foreign countries, mainly to Iran. According to Pajhwok, the first regional conference on human trafficking law will be held in Kabul on 11 October.

Nuclear Issue

• (E) Iran complains to EU over its nuclear position.

Trade

• (E) Iran bans Chinese milk products.

Politics

• Kan’ani Moghaddam, spokesman of the Hezbollah Alliance urges Mohammad Khatami and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad not to run for presidency, adds that Tehran Mayor Qalibaf, former IRGC chief Mohsen Rezai, and some others would be more suitable candidates.
• General Secretary of the Fadayian-e Islam terrorist organization says his organization would vote for Khatami should he run.

Diplomacy

• Imam Khomeini Airport denies landing permission to Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, Mashhadani.
• Iranian authorities explain the Islamic Republic air defense systems would not allow his specific type of aircraft to land.
• Venezuelan president Chavez to visit Tehran.
• Commenting on the possibility of opening an American Iranian Council office in Tehran, Shahab News says that it is like opening of a “new den of espionage.”

Economy

• Discussion of Ahmadinejad’s interview on the financial sector and the resignation of Central Bank director Tahmasb Mazaheri.

Public Health

• Commentary in the Afghan Information Network rejects Iranian allegations that Afghan refugees transfer cholera to Iran. Acting Afghan ambassador to Tehran was summoned on Friday and was asked to take “proper measures” to curb potential spread of cholera along the Afghan-Iranian border. Quoting the Afghan Health Ministry, the commentary says no single case of cholera has been reported in western Afghanistan, and accuses the Iranians of using the disease as “a new propaganda tool against the Afghan refugees.”

Photo of the Day

• (E) Law Enforcement Forces on display.