Iran Early Bird

Political and Diplomatic Affairs

· Conservative Fars News agency quotes Haaretz report on Israeli Foreign Ministry’s ‘anti-Ahmadinejad propaganda activities’ (1)

· Javan daily: “The end of Tel Aviv’s happy days in Washington?” (2)

· Ahmadinejad: Iran is a nuclear state, Iranian foreign policy forced Western states to change their aggressive policies and enter into talks (4)

· U.S. ambassador in Baku to invite Iranian counterpart to Independence Day festivities (5)


Domestic Affairs

· Rafsanjani in a letter to the supreme leader: Ahmadinejad is a liar (11)

· Arrests carried out at election rallies in Tehran (12)

· Two students who called for election boycott arrested (13)

· Jomhouri Eslami slams Ahmadinejad and ‘Principlists’ for trying to trample the achievements of the revolution and thus playing into the hands of the foreign media (16)

Economic Affairs

· Oil Minister, Nozari : Royal Dutch Shell and Repsol have offered new proposal for initial development of Stages 13 and 14 of the southern Pars gas field project (18)

· Deputy economics minister stresses importance of agreements to promote foreign investment (19)

Security Affairs

· Iranian regular military air force to conduct exercises (21)

Human Rights and Minority Affairs

· Head of Center for Women’s and Family Affairs in President’s Bureau: Equality between women and men is not just and thus must not be implemented (23)

· Intelligence Ministry arrests renowned writer and editor Shabab Hesami (25)

· Kurdish-minority political activist sentenced to death for disseminating anti-regime propaganda (26)

· Workers’ rights activist summoned to court (27)

· Four suicides in one day in Tehran; young woman sets herself on fire outside police station (28)

· Writer for “Teacher’s Pen” magazine still in detention after 40 days (29)

· “Yase No” newspaper banned again (30)

Full Report

Political and Diplomatic Affairs



1. Conservative Fars News agency quotes Haaretz report on Israeli Foreign Ministry’s anti-Ahmadinejad propaganda activities

Fars News is quoting a Haaretz report on the fact that the Israeli Foreign Ministry is financing anti-Ahmadinejad propaganda activities in various countries around the world. According to the report, the Israeli Foreign Ministry sent a confidential communiqué to its embassies around the world, instructing them to organize demonstrations against the Iranian government and broadcast fabricated photographs of executions and torture in Iran.

2. Javan daily: “The end of Tel Aviv’s happy days in Washington?”

Under this headline, the Javan Daily newspaper comments on the rise to power of the right in Israel against the Democrats’ win in the United States. According to the writer, these developments have placed Israel and the United States on a collision course. “This may the end of their happy days together,” the article says, adding: “The Jewish community in Israel has always taken an interest in the American leadership, and has always been concerned about who will come into power in the United States and how the new administration will treat Israel. Despite the fact that we hearing lots of talk about disputes between the two countries on important issues, a large portion of the important posts in the United States have yet to be filled, and so we must wait for developments.”

3. SHIA SOUND website: Israel upping its efforts in Mid Asia

“Israel’s efforts to expand its presence in the countries of Mid Asia, close to Iran, have gained momentum with the rise to power of the Netanyahu government. The Zionist regime plans to expand its influence in the countries around Iran, and force the Arabs to cooperate with it. The fact that Turkmenistan lies along the nuclear-fuel transportation route from Russia to Iran undoubtedly turns Turkmenistan into fertile ground for the presence of the [Zionist] regime, with the objective of preventing the continuation of Iran’s nuclear activities.

4. Ahmadinejad: Iran is a nuclear state, Iranian foreign policy forced Western states to change their aggressive policies and enter into talks

In a television interview on June 9, Ahmadinejad said that Iran was a "nuclear state,” adding that Iran's nuclear program was no longer an acute political issue. The case was "closed" and the issue was “over," he said. Also according to the Iranian president, Iran's foreign policy forced Western states to change their aggressive policies and enter into talks with Tehran. “And now comprehensive cooperation is to take place,” he commented. “We also announced that we are not going to discuss our nuclear rights any longer… Iran had clarified all the questions from the International Atomic Energy Agency and that there is no ambiguity left regarding Iran's nuclear program.” (Iranian TV, June 9)

5. U.S. ambassador in Azerbaijan to invite Iranian counterpart to Independence Day festivities

Anne E. Derse, the U.S. ambassador in Azerbaijan, plans to invite her Iranian counterpart to her embassies Independence Day celebration on July 4. Derse said that in the framework of steps to establish ties with Iran, U.S. ambassadors have been urged to invite their Iranian counterparts to participate in official embassy events.

6. Ahmadinejad says he will invite Obama to a debate at the UN if elected

The Iranian president said that the United States’ revision vis-à-vis its policies was not a gift to other countries, but a necessity to prevent the United States from facing more basic problems. "I want constructive interaction based on justice and respect and if I remain in the post, I will invite President Obama to a debate at the United Nations General Assembly... Nowadays, solving global problems needs public participation, and different viewpoints should be presented – and debate is the best way of solving world problems.”

7. Iran Diplomacy website: Hezbollah’s failure in Lebanon elections is evidence of the failure of Iranian diplomacy and the Ahmadinejad government’s foreign policy

The Iran Diplomacy website, managed by former foreign minister Sadeq Kharazi, has published an article by Ali Mousavi Khalkhali under the headline: “Hezbollah’s failure in the Lebanon elections, and another failure for the diplomacy of the ninth government.” According to the writer: “The March 8 Movement, which saw itself as becoming the undisputed winner of the elections in Lebanon, has failed, and has even officially admitted its failure. The results of the Lebanese parliamentary elections undoubtedly constituted another turning point in developments in the Middle East over the past four years. Many countries were involved in these elections – Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France, Italy, Germany and more. But all the involved countries can be divided into two groups: Iran and Syria on the one side, and all the rest on the other. Iran’s foreign policy in Lebanon is clear, and unrelated to this or the other government. This is the regime’s policy with respect to the resistance and Hezbollah. Nevertheless, the ninth government paid extra special attention to the Lebanon issue. Many claimed that the Iranian foreign minister’s recent visit to France was directly related to the elections in Lebanon. Therefore, Hezbollah’s failure in Lebanon points also to a failure for Iranian diplomacy and the ninth government in Lebanon. The failure of the March 8 Movement will be seen as a failure of the ninth government in Iran.



8. Rafsanjani: The West doesn’t want the Muslims in the Balkan region to be strong

Supreme Expediency Council Chairman Hashemi Rafsanjani has defined the Balkan region as Islam’s gateway to the West, adding that some European states were very sensitive about the matter and do not wish to see a strong Muslim population in the Balkans. Rafsanjani’s comments came during talks with Mustafa Siric, the chairman of the Bosnia Herzegovina Union of Sources of Emulation. Rafsanjani added that Iran had always supported the citizens of Bosnia Herzegovina and had hoped to be a partner in the country’s rehabilitation after the war.

9. Foreign Ministry spokesman rejects “baseless claims” of GCC ministerial meeting on three disputed Islands

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said that the three islands of Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa had been integral parts of Iran during the course of history. His comments came in response to the claims made about the islands in the final statement of the 110th foreign ministerial meeting of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC). Qashqavi the “baseless claims as interference in Iran's internal affairs,” rejecting them and adding: “It has been said on several occasions that misunderstanding over the islands can be solved through dialogue between Iran and the UAE, and that the involvement of other parties in the issue will be of no use.” Iran has to defeat the UAE on Wednesday at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium to revive its withering hopes of qualification for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

10. Conservative candidate Rezaei: Denying the Holocaust is damaging; suggests setting up a global uranium-enrichment corporation in which Iran would have shares

According to conservative presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaei, the ninth government adopted aggressive policies and tactics. “The government’s denial of the Holocaust only served the interests of the enemies,” he said. Commenting on the nuclear issue, Rezaei said there was a need to resolve differences with the West and set up an international uranium-enrichment corporation in which Iran would have shares and control. Such a move would show the West that Iran’s nuclear program was for peaceful purposes only, he added.



Domestic Affairs

11. Rafsanjani in a letter to the supreme leader: Ahmadinejad is a liar

In an open letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, Rafsanjani complains about the "accusations" leveled by Ahmadinejad during his televised debate with Reformist presidential candidate Mirhoseyn Mousavi on June 4. In his letter, Rafsanjani says he will "leave the responsibility" to respond to the accusations by the president in the hands of Khamenei. "Dozens of millions of people, inside and outside the country, watched [Ahmadinejad] lying and making false comments, which contradict the Sharia [Islamic law], the law, morality and fairness, and target the achievements of our Islamic system," Rafsanjani wrote.

12. Arrests carried out at election rallies in Tehran

The commander of Tehran’s InternalSecurity forces has announced that a number of people who broke the law at election rallies in the capital have been arrested. The commander said his forces would be on full alert up until the time the election results were published.

13. Two students who called for election boycott arrested

Security forces, aided by Basij members, have arrested two student activists who called for an election boycott. The two men were beaten and then taken into custody.

14. Ahmadinejad may invite Mousavi to another face-off

The Iranian president is due to be interviewed on television tonight (Wednesday) in order to respond to charges made against him by the other presidential candidates during their television debates. According to some reports, Ahmadinejad is likely to invite Mousavi to another live face-off.

15. Mousavi’s latest televised statements: An open outlook vs. narrow-mindedness, superstition, and a lack of trust in people

Speaking on television, presidential candidate Mousavi said: "There is an approach that is based on excitability, extremism, being blighted, narrow-mindedness, superstition and a lack of trust in people. It is based on illusion and misperceptions. Obviously, it incurs costs for the country, including the defamation of others, slander and creating dossiers for people; it creates dissention within the ranks of the people … Our system requires an open outlook towards everyone. It needs a long arm to draw in all segments of society from any ethnic backgrounds that encompass all languages and opinions… Viewing students as potential threats will not help to win their trust… The security approach that [the government] has adopted towards students will alienate the students and pit them against us. I regard students as being committed to our society. Assigning stars to students and expelling a couple of people from the university does not contribute to the growth of our nation. One can engage students. We have to remember that at the outset of the revolution, the students were the ones to manage the fronts; the great commanders of the Sacred Defense Era [Iran-Iraq War] rose from the ranks of these progressive students. There is no reason to believe that these students are any different to students of the Revolutionary Era." (Iranian TV, June 9)

16. Jomhouri Eslami editorial harshly slams Ahmadinejad and ‘Principlists’, accusing them of trying to trample the achievements of the revolution and thus playing into the hands of the foreign media

In an editorial under the headline, “Don’t hesitate even for a moment,” the Jomhouri Eslami daily harshly criticizes Ahmadinejad and his supporters, accusing them of “trampling on all the achievements of the revolution.” According to the newspaper, “The martyrs who fell… expect us to expose all those who are trying to undermine the foundations and achievements of the revolution… The solution is mass participation in the elections, which can serve to clearly show the nation’s trust in the revolution and the regime… The enemies of the revolution and the foreign media are very happy to see the harm that is being done today to Iran’s and the revolution’s senior leaders.” The newspaper calls on the Iranian people not to hesitate for even a moment and not to allow the country’s enemies to rejoice. “We are sure that the public knows who to choose; it has seen who is right and fair; it has seen everything in the face-offs.”

17. “Monazereh” (debate) and “entekhabat” (election) were among most popular search words over the last 30 days on Google's Persian-language search engine

The top two search words used on Google’s Persian-language search engine over the past month were “monazereh” and “Karoubi.” Of the billions of searches carried out on the portal over the last month, Mousavi’s name was fourth on the list of top searches, with alternative spellings of Mousavi ranked fifth. The subjects of the sixth and seventh most sought-after news stories were Ahmadinejad, with two different spellings in Persian. Different spellings Mousavi ranked ninth, making him the most searched-for politician during the past 30 days. Entekhabat (election) was the tenth most searched for term on Persian Google over the last month.



Economic Affairs



18. Oil Minister Gholam-Hossein Nozari : Royal Dutch Shell and Repsol have offered new proposal for initial development of Stages 13 and 14 of the southern Pars gas field project

Oil Minister Gholam-Hossein Nozari said Total had also expressed interest in investing in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) production project in the southern Pars Stage 11 development plan. The oil minister stated that $67 billion had been invested in Iran’s oil industry over the past four years, adding that the country’s daily crude output had risen to 4.23 million barrels. Iran said in April that it had given Anglo/Dutch Shell and Spain’s Repsol until May 20 to clarify their involvement in the project. According to Oil and Gas Journal, Iran’s 2008 estimated proven natural gas reserves stand at 948 trillion cubic feet – second only to Russia. Roughly two-thirds of the Iranian natural gas reserves are located in non-associated fields and have not been developed.

19. Deputy economics minister stresses importance of agreements to promote foreign investment

Deputy Economics Minister Behrouz Alisheri has stressed that despite the global economic crisis and the sanctions against the country, Iran has managed to attract significant foreign investment. Based on forecasts, he added, the scope of these investments would increase in the coming year too. The deputy minister put this down to appropriate preparations and the contracts to promote foreign investment that have been signed with some 45 countries such as Greece, the Philippines, Cyprus and others.

20. Bank Saderat sells 6 percent of its shares to private investors, becoming third state bank to be privatized

More than 1.08 billion shares of Bank Saderat were sold June 9, with each share priced at 1001 rials (10 cents). The managing director of the Tehran Stock Exchange, Hasan Qalibaf, said that Bank Saderat had become the second-largest company on the stock market, behind Iran's Telecommunications Company. He added that the bank planned to sell off a further 14 percent of its shares by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 2010).



Security Affairs



21. Iranian Army’s air force to conduct exercises

The Iranian Army’s air force will conduct an extensive training drill next week under the slogan: “Milad e nour e velayat.” The drill will involve the use of fighter jets and various sophisticated systems.

22. Zahedan governor: An electrical short caused explosion of transformer, no reports of casualties or serious damage

Zahedan Governor Hassanali Noori said that an electrical short had the explosion of a transformer in the city’s Golestan Street. According to the governor, the explosion broke a number of windows in the neighborhood but did not cause any casualties or serious damage. He rejected claims that a bomb blast had occurred in the street.



Human Rights and Minority Affairs



23. Head of Center for Women’s and Family Affairs in President’s Bureau: Equality between women and men is not just and thus must not be implemented

The head of Center for Women’s and Family Affairs in the President’s Bureau, Zohre Tabib Zade, said in a newspaper interview that there was a physical and mental difference between men and women, as well as a difference in the responsibility they bear. Therefore, she added, equality between the sexes was not deemed just and should not be implemented. Commenting on the One Million Signatures campaign, she said that many citizens in Iran believed in the laws of Islam. “I can recruit five million women who accept the laws of Islam and can set up a Five Million Signatures campaign to counter the One Million Signatures one,” she said.

24. Women’s rights activist sends letter of complaint about treatment of fellow activist to Judiciary head

In a letter of complaint about the treatment suffered by fellow activist Kaveh Mozzafari that was sent to the head of the Iranian Judiciary, women’s rights activist Jalveh Javaheri, who was released recently from detention, writes: “She [Mozzafari]… tells me about the vague and sketchy search warrant that was used to search her home, about the pile of belongings confiscated from her residence, the stairs on which she was violently dragged barefoot, the light switch that had stayed on.” Javaheri also writes about “the anxious look in Kaveh’s eyes” and about her mother “shouting from behind the closed doors of the Vozara detention center at midnight, objecting to her arrest. I look at her in shock. She hasn’t slept a wink tonight; when she finally falls asleep quiet in the dark corner of the cell, I feel an impulse to stroke her hair.”

25. Intelligence Ministry arrests renowned writer and editor Shabab Hesami

Prominent Iranian writer and editor Shabab Hesami was arrested on her arrival at the Intelligence Ministry’s Department for Religious Affairs. She was summoned to the ministry for a supposed meeting with her spouse, Peyman Fatahi, the head of the Al Yassin Association who is in detention at Evin Prison. Hesami remains in detention despite being ill and in urgent need of surgery. Hesami has been under constant pressure from the Department for Religious Affairs in recent years and has been through a number of interrogations. Her writings have been banned numerous times and her spouse and sister have also been arrested a number of times.

26. Kurdish-minority political activist sentenced to death for disseminating anti-regime propaganda

Hosseyn Khazari, a Kurdish-minority political activist from Orouyime has been sentenced to death for disseminating anti-regime propaganda and cooperating with a Kurdish political party. Khazari was arrested some six months ago and has been held for the most part in solitary confinement at the Intelligence Ministry’s detention center in Orouyime. He has been denied access to legal counsel and was unable to defend himself in court. Another 12 Kurdish-minority political activists are on death row. Meanwhile, Mansour Mohammadi, another Kurdish-minority political activist, has been sentenced by the Revolutionary Court to five years in jail in exile. He was convicted of supporting anti-government organizations.

27. Workers’ rights activist summoned to court

Borhan Saeidi, a workers’ rights activist and Kurdish-minority citizen, has been summoned to appear in court in Sanandaj. Saeidi was released on bail about a month ago after spending three months in detention in the Intelligence Ministry’s detention center and central jail in the city.

28. Four suicides in one day in Tehran; young woman sets herself on fire outside police station

Two women, 23 and 50, and two men, 20 and 23, committed suicide in various parts of Tehran on Sunday. The younger woman set herself alight outside the police station on Valisar Street, while the older woman overdosed on medicines. The Tehran Police have appointed a special investigator to examine the incidents.

29. Writer for “Teacher’s Pen” magazine still in detention after 40 days

Sejad Khaksari, a writer for the “Teacher’s Pen” magazine remains in detention in Evin Prison following his arrest 40 days ago. He was taken into custody while covering the recent teachers’ strike outside the Majlis. This is the third time he has been arrested while on duty as a reporter.

30. “Yase No” newspaper banned again

Tehran’s prosecutor general has again slapped a publication ban on the “Yase No” Reformist newspaper.