Iran Early Bird

The Venezuelan foreign minister, who is currently in Iran, has held meeting with Iranian President Ahmadi-Nejad, Foreign Minister Mottaki, Supreme National Security Council Secretary Saeed Jalili, who also serves as Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, and the Iranian minister of industry and mines. During his meeting with the Venezuelan official, Ahmadi-Nejad spoke about the "ever-increasing waves of anti-Imperialism around the world" and said that Iran and Venezuela could serve as a model for dealing with the new anti-Imperialist reality that is emerging for the good of the nations of the world. The Iranian president added that the collapse of the world economy's management systems had given rise to the need for new mechanisms that many countries would join. In his meeting with the Venezuelan minister, Jalili said that Iran and Venezuela were two powers that influenced developments in their respective regions and could play a leading role in achieving peace and stability around the world. In a press conference with his visiting counterpart, Mottaki again stressed that Iran would continue to enrich uranium in light of the "false promises," including those made by Germany, to supply Iran with nuclear fuel for the production of 1,000 megawatts of electricity. Mottaki added that Iran would even expand its enrichment program so that it could provide electricity to other countries too. The meeting between the Venezuelan minister and the Iranian minister of industry and mines led to an agreement to establish a special committee to deal with the obstacles in the way of forwarding joint economic projects between the two countries. The parties also announced that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez would again be visiting Iran during the course of the coming months.



2. Responding to statements made by the French foreign minister, Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali-Asghar Soltanieh, said Sunday that as long as there was no legal and binding mechanism in place to ensure the regular supply of nuclear fuel to Iran, Iran would continue to enrich uranium independently. Soltanieh appeared to hint that if such a mechanism were to be guaranteed, Iran may reconsider its current position on the matter. He clarified, nevertheless, that at present, the untrustworthy behavior of the Western states left Iran with no choice but to rely only on itself with respect to the enrichment of uranium. According to the Iranian official, there is no technical, legal or political reason to suspend the enrichment operations, "and even if a number of countries wish to establish a [nuclear] power station in Iraq to make up for the mistakes of the past, this will not lead to confidence building." Commenting on the summary statement released by the IAEA's Economics Committee, Soltanieh said that "Israel constitutes a serious and ongoing threat to the security of its neighbors and other countries," and also criticized the "disgraceful silence" of the United States and the other countries that support Israel. Today, the Majlis' National Security and Foreign Affairs Committee is expected to hold a session on the latest developments in the Iranian nuclear program. Senior Iranian personnel involved in the program will also participate in the panel's discussions.



3. According to the chairman of the Majlis' National Security and Foreign Affairs Committee, a French parliamentary delegation, including two committee deputy chairmen and a member of the French Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, will be visiting Iran in the near future.



4. According to Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, who led last Friday's prayers in Tehran, Iran's position on Israel is the one presented by Ahmadi-Nejad in his recent address to the UN General Assembly, and all Iran's ambassadors and representatives wherever they may be should feel free to express the same viewpoint (which rejects the existence of the State of Israel). Jannati also responded to Israeli President Shimon Peres' statement that Iran's economy should be targeted, commenting that such an attitude was global policy. "We are happy about the economic crisis in the United States," the Ayatollah also said. "It is getting the punishment it deserves for all the bad things it has done. It is divine punishment." Jannati added: One of the foreign ambassadors in Iran is trying to create an economic crisis. I will not name him, but I have chosen to comment on the matter so that he knows he and his intentions have been exposed." Jannati also commented on the message Ismail Haniyah, the Hamas leader in Gaza, conveyed to the Iranian people; in his message, Haniyah blessed the Iranian leaders and people for their unique contribution to the Palestinian cause.



5. Sheikh Jasam Alsa'idi, deputy head of the Bahraini parliament's Constitution and Law Committee, has harshly criticized what he defined as Iranian President Ahmadi-Nejad's contradictory and erratic positions on the issue of recognizing Israel, charging that they also demonstrate Iran's dangerous standpoints vis-à-vis the Arab-Muslim world. According to Alsa'idi, Ahmadi-Nejad speaks about his desire to wipe Israel off the map one day, and then gives and interview to a U.S. newspaper and says he is willing to accept a two-state solution. The Bahraini parliamentarian was commenting on an interview the Iranian president gave to the New York Daily News and during which he was asked what Iran's position would be in the event the Palestinians agreed to a two-state solution. "Whatever the people decide, we will respect it," Ahmadi-Nejad replied at the time. "If they [the Palestinians] want to keep the Zionists, they can stay."



6. More tension appears to be brewing between Iran and Egypt after a ceremony at Tehran University saw the screening of the second half of the documentary film, "34 Bullets for Pharaoh," which portrays the presidential era of former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, his visit to Israel, the signing of the Camp David agreement and his assassination. The film glorifies Sadat's assassin, Khalid al-Istambuli, who is commemorated in Iran in various forms. The first half of the documentary sparked a fierce reaction in Egypt, which countered with a documentary of its own entitled "The Imam of Blood."



7. An Iranian group of hackers known as "Y! Underground" claims to have attacked some 400 Arab websites in the United Arab Emirates. The group has posted the names of the UAE websites targeted on its website.



8. The Reformist Etemad daily reports that the Majlis has given Iranian President Ahmadi-Nejad another week to fire his interior minister, Ali Kordan, in light of the forged doctorate affair. Iran's official news agency, IRNA, however, has come to the defense of Kordan, claiming that elements outside Iran are responsible for the uproar over the matter, which is intended to harm the government. But the Conservative-affiliated Kayhan daily, for its part, slammed the IRNA report, defining it as "contrived to order and unprofessional." Meanwhile, rumors have it that the commander of Iran's Internal Security Forces, Sardar Ahmadi Moghadam, may be appointed to replace Kordan. Moghadam, however, has denied the hearsay, commenting: "Due to the sensitive nature of my position, under the current circumstances, I will not be offered such a position; and even if it was offered to me, I would not accept it."



9. Morteza Tamadon has been appointed governor of the Tehran Province. Tamadon served in the past as a Majlis member.



10. Mehdi Mir Abu-Talebi will replace Ali Ahani as Iranian ambassador to France. Abu-Talebi served in the past as deputy governor of the Khorasan Province for political affairs, charge d'affaires at the Iranian Embassy in Paris, Iranian ambassador to Turkmenistan, and director-general of the southern Pars oil field.









1. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has granted extensive executive powers to Safavi, his senior advisor on the armed forces and former commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. According to Safavi, who has been appointed senior aide to the Iranian chief of staff, Khamenei and the chief of staff have entrusted him with 11 missions and tasks that are not related to the routine duties and fields of responsibility of the IRGC, the army and the armed forces. Safavi said that for the purpose of fulfilling his duties, he had suggested a certain organizational structure to Khamenei and that he was working in keeping with this structure. Iranian Opposition websites, meanwhile, are discussing the possible nature of Safavi's new duties, suggesting that they could be related to the nuclear field, or something else entirely, and that Safavi may be "the designated one," who will step into Ahmadi-Nejad's shoes (see Picture of the Day). Safavi's appointment in itself, which essentially places the regular army under the authority of the commander of the IRGC, may be further evidence of a further erosion in the status of the army and the IRGC's takeover of the Iranian armed forces. The IRGC was recently entrusted with the security of the sensitive Persian Gulf area.



2. According to an announcement by the commander of the Iranian Army's Naval Corps, the corps will be conducting training maneuvers in the near future, and will also be receiving new weapons systems and equipment. The commander also commented on the sharing of responsibilities between the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, which is entrusted with the security of the Persian Gulf, and the army, which oversees security in the Gulf of Oman and the Caspian Sea, noting: "In Iran, the army and the IRGC operate in parallel, and we share the realms of responsibility. The same holds true in the naval arena."



3. During a discussion on an Internet military forum dealing with the Iranian Army, and on the backdrop of reports about the sale of Russian Kamov helicopters to Iran, some forum members questioned whether such aircraft were suited to the Iranian climate. Others said that if the helicopters in question were the Ka-50s, then they were good aircraft that Iran had been looking to purchase for a number of years now. They would have to be equipped with modern weapons systems in order to boost the armed forces' defensive capabilities, these forum members added. The possibility that Iran may also purchase 100 medium-sized passenger planes, TU-204s, from Russia was also discussed.



4. Under orders from the Internal Security Forces, the Majlis Guard is preventing reporters from visiting the Internal Security Forces exhibition at the Majlis' Exhibition Center. Only Majlis members are being allowed into the exhibition. On display are the works and achievements of the Internal Security Forces.



5. Military service in Iran has been reduced by two months, with youths now required to serve 20 months in the army – provided the country is not at war or under a state of emergency.



6. The Sunni resistance organization, Jondallah, has announced that it has executed the four remaining Iranian soldiers it was holding, such that all 16 soldiers abducted by the group several months ago are no longer alive. Note, senior Iranian officials admitted for the first time only yesterday that in all likelihood, some of the hostages had been killed.



7.



1. The deputy CEO of marketing and trade of Austrian gas company OMV, who is participating in the 2nd International Conference on Iranian Gas Exports, has commented on the importance of Iranian natural gas, noting that Iran will play a significant role in the supply of gas to Europe. According to the OMV executive, Iran is considered one of the world's largest gas producers, behind Russia and Canada, and in light of its extensive gas reserves in the Persian Gulf, Iran will be able to supply Europe with the gas it needs over the coming years. In the same context, the director of planning at the National Iranian Gas Company has announced that within four years, Iran gas-production capabilities will double to reach 274 billion cubic meters a year.



2. A delegation headed by the director-general of the National Iranian Oil Company has gone to China to sum up talks on technical cooperation between the countries in the development of Iranian gas fields. The sides also aim to finalize China's participation in the southern Pars gas field project.



3. Former Iranian economics minister Danesh Jafari has commented on the dismissal of former Central Bank director-general Mazaheri, saying: "If the relationship between the government and the Central Bank is not properly defined, we will again witness the replacement of the director-general." According to Jafari, one of the main reasons for the conflicts between the government and the Central Bank is the government's desire to implement numerous projects and programs that require funding and the Central Bank's inability to provide the government with such extensive financial resources.



4. Businesses in the large market in Esfahan have been on strike now for two days in the wake of the 3-percent hike in VAT. The businesses claim that consumers will refuse to pay the extra VAT and the vendors therefore will have to raise the prices of their goods, thereby affecting the consumers' purchasing power.



5. The harsh winter that Iran suffered last year has severely affected the country's pomegranate crop yield, with the price of the fruit in the markets expected to rise sharply.



6. According to Iranian Oil Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari, an oil price of less than $100 per barrel "is not suitable for anybody, neither oil producers nor consumers." Speaking in the same context, economist Said Lilaz said that under the current circumstances, the drop in oil prices would severely damage the Iranian economy, which replies primarily on oil revenues.



7. The head of the Iranian Central Bank's Foreign Currency Affairs Department has announced the granting of special terms and conditions to foreign investors. The department head also said that the Export Development bank of Iran would also be offering special aid and terms.



8. The Military Financial Institution's first branch opened yesterday, with the Iranian deputy chief of staff in attendance. The institution will serve to improve the standard of living and welfare of military employees, and from now on, the army's budget and funds will be deposited in the institution instead of other banks.



9. During a meeting yesterday between oil experts and senior officials from Iran and Kyrgyzstan, Iran expressed willingness to invest in oil fields in Kyrgyzstan. The parties also discussed the renewal of the transportation of Kyrgyz oil through Iranian territory.









1. During Eid al-Fitr prayers at his home, senior Ayatollah Montazeri expressed harsh criticism of what he defined as the contradiction between the words and deeds of the regime's leaders. Commenting on Ahmadi-Nejad's statement during his address to the UN General Assembly that "there is more freedom in Iran than anywhere else in the world," Montazeri asked: "Why do the slogans of the leaders fail to correspond to what is happening on the ground in Iran? On the one hand, he [Ahmadi-Nejad] sees the country as the freest country in the world; and on the other hand, he denies citizens basic and legal rights and freedom." The Ayatollah accused senior elements of failing to speak up in the face of the actions of the government, defining their silence as a sin.



2. In a meeting with members of the council of Friday prayer session leaders, the chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council, Hashemi Rafsanjani, spoke of the need to boost the levels of knowledge and education of the Friday prayer session leaders so as to encourage more public participation. Rafsanjani said that the words of the prayer leaders received extensive media exposure both inside Iran and abroad, and stressed that the prayer leaders must therefore be well-versed in the political, cultural and diplomatic fields.



3. Another minor is executed in Iran: Thursday morning saw the execution in Iran of 20-year-old Mohammad Reza Hadadi, who was 15 at the time of his crime and had since been held in the Adel Abad prison in Shiraz.



4. Some 200 students demonstrated yesterday outside Tehran University in protest against the early retirement forced on 21 of the institution's senior lecturers.



5. Fourteen Tehran University students who were suspended from their studies after taking part in political activities at the institution gathered yesterday outside the Majlis to urge parliamentary representatives to take up their case. Within minutes, security forces arrested the students, transported them away from the Majlis and then released them. According to the students, the security forces used tear gas to disperse them.



6. According to reports from human rights activists, five Alawists who are being held prisoner at the central jail in Aromiya are in serious physical condition after being on hunger strike for the past 10 days. The five have been in jail for a number of years on convictions of anti-regime activity.



7. According to an announcement from the Tehran Teachers Union, security forces yesterday, International Teachers Day, arrested four teachers whose current whereabouts and condition remain unknown.



8. Due to communications problems in Iran over the past few days, Internet users in the country have had trouble accessing the Yahoo servers, including the company's mail and instant messaging services. According to the Alef website, the relevant officials at the communications company are not willing to provide satisfactory explanations for the problems.



9. After three weeks in detention, Azeri activists have made contact with their families for the first time, informing them that they are being held in the Evin prison's Wing 209, which comes under the authority of the Intelligence Ministry.



10. Khaled Hrdani, the Arab minority security prisoner who was slapped in the past with a death sentence, has now been accused of political activity against the regime and has been sentenced to seven years in jail in exile. In a telephone call from prison, Hrdani said that due to his activity in prison and his call on international organizations to visit and inspect Iran's jails, the authorities were trying to frame him.



11. For the first time since his arrest some three months ago, Kurdish journalist Kamal Sharifi spoke over the telephone yesterday with his family, informing them of his grave physical condition.