Selected Headlines

Iran Nuclear Monitor Dies Mysteriously

Newsweek | Oct. 22, 2009

Police in Austria are investigating the mysterious death of a British nuclear monitoring expert. Early news reports said that Timothy Hampton, who worked for an international monitoring unit called the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), died after falling 12 stories in a building in the Vienna International Center, one of the United Nations' main office complexes in Europe.

Arrests made at event for jailed Iran activist

Reuters | Oct. 22, 2009

At least 15 people were detained on Thursday during a religious ceremony in support of an Iranian reformist activist who was detained after June's disputed poll and jailed for five years, a pro-reform website reported.

The site, Mowjcamp, said the prayer event was organised by the family of the activist, Shahab-edin Tabatabaiee, and held in their home in northwestern Tehran. The jail sentence against him was announced earlier this week.

Those detained included two pro-reform journalists and the wife of Abdullah Ramezanzadeh, a former government spokesman who was himself arrested after the presidential election and accused with many others of fomenting post-vote unrest.

"Now ... we do not have security even in our own houses," Mowjcamp quoted Fakhrosadat Mohtashamipour as saying. She is the wife of another leading reformist detained after the election, former deputy interior minister Mostafa Tajzadeh.

Wife: Tajzadeh in good health

Parleman News | Oct. 21, 2009

Fakhrolsadat Mohtashamipour, the wife of detained opposition activist Mostafa Tajzadeh, said she found her husband in good spirits and health in their third meeting since his arrest.

"Tajzadeh was uninformed about how his case was progressing. As he put it, because he has not done anything against the law and all his activities have been within the framework of the law he is ready to participate in court."

According to Mohtashamipour, upon informing her husband of efforts being made to frame him, Tajzadeh said with great calm that he would have the chance to tell people the truth of the matter in court.

Mousavi announces closure of his newspaper

Tabnak | Oct. 22, 2003

Mir Hossein Mousavi has officially announced that the Kalameh newspaper will no longer be circulated.

According to the Farda report, the reason for the closure of the popular daily was never officially announced.

Despite rumors circulating about the possibility of the paper reopening and the editorial team of Kalameh reuniting, Mousavi made the final announcement about the fate of the newspaper on Wednesday and said goodbye to his team.

Abutorabi: What lawsuit against Mousavi?

Tabnak | Oct. 21, 2009

First Deputy Majlis Speaker Mohammad-Hassan Abutorabi said he knew nothing about efforts made by Hamid Rasaii to rally support for a prosecution of Mir Hossein Mousavi.

"I know nothing about this matter, but I must say that the policies of the establishment are defined within the framework of the Leadership's words [guidelines] and Majlis as well as the nation supports these policies," he told Majlis reporters who asked about the possibility of Parliament seeking Mousavi's trial.

"The Supreme Leader [Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei] has communicated to us the fundamental policies [of the country] and these policies are being pursued with utmost diligence and the judiciary is obligated to... use the proper legal channels to protect the legal rights of the people."

Regarding the recent meeting of cleric lawmakers with the Shia Sources of Emulation in Qom, Abutorabi said, "We met we Ayatollahs [Nasser] Makarem-Shirazi, [Lotfollah] Safi-Golpayegani and [Hossein] Nouri-Hamadani."

"The Sources had objections to a number of decisions made by the government and their objections were considered valid by Majlis and they were communicated to the 10th government," he said.

Hosseinian: Mousavi and Karroubi different

Asr Iran | Oct. 21, 2009

Principlist lawmaker Rouhollah Hosseinian said opposition cleric Mehdi Karroubi should not be viewed in the same light as Mir Hossein Mousavi.

"Majlis representatives have long been pursuing a case against Mousavi, but certain problems hindered the process. Of course I should add that there are many lawmakers who want to sign the letter [calling for the trial of Mousavi]."

"Karroubi's case is different from Mousavi, and I personally haven't reached the conclusion that lawmakers can request legal action against him."

"Maybe if lawmakers were to sign a letter of complaint against Karroubi, I would not be signing it."

Regarding the probable gathering of Mousavi supporters on Nov. 4, the anniversary of the US Embassy takeover and national student day, the Tehran representative went on to say, "This day does not belong to any specific group."

"I welcome the gathering [of opposition supporters] on Nov. 4. I would like them to come out and shout their slogans in front of the revolutionary [pro-government] movement so that it will become known who is in pursuit of unrest."

Lankarani: next presidential race complicated

Tabnak | Oct. 21, 2009

Ex-health minister Kamran Lankarani said Iran's next presidential race will prove complicated.

"Four or five individuals have prepared themselves [for the 2013 election] and have even chosen their cabinet members. This will present a serious challenge for the current [Ahmadinejad] administration, because the executive decisions made in its twilight months may not be implemented according to plan by the next administration," said Lankarani.

The former health minister left Ahmadinejad's first cabinet after being called a "peach" [he would like to eat] by the president on live television.

Karroubi: Establishment must meet public demands

Tabnak | Oct. 21, 2009

Opposition cleric Mehdi Karroubi declared that the pro-democracy Green Movement is after reform, not regime change and stressed that the movement's demands must be met by Iran's Islamic establishment.

Karroubi said that given the trajectory of events over the past decade, he believes that "negligence" has led to the country's current impasse.

He added that mounting pressure on political activists was ineffective and praised Iranians for their vigilance in showing proper reactions in a timely fashion.

Regarding his letters to Iranian officials that exposed detainee torture and rape, the veteran cleric said, "I refute the allegation that I wrongly accused the establishment. My objective was to cleanse the establishment, because I am concerned it."

Iran lawyer in 'blood money' plea

BBC | Oct. 22, 2009

An Iranian lawyer has appealed for money to spare the lives of four of his clients, who face execution for murders committed when they were aged under 18.

Under Iranian law, a family can pardon a relative's murderer, and compensation -- called blood money -- is often paid.

Mohammad Mostafaie said he needed to raise $200,000 (£120,700) to pay the families of his clients' victims.

Amnesty International says Iran has executed at least 42 juvenile offenders since 1990, flouting international law.

Iran MP worried about privatization

Reuters | Oct. 22, 2009

A senior member of Iran's parliament said "real" private investors have only a small share in Iran's privatization efforts, while a worrisome "new sector" is emerging in the Islamic Republic's economy that lacks the characteristics of a real private sector, Reuters news agency reported Thursday.

"We are worried since a new sector has emerged in the economy which is neither completely governmental in nature, over which the parliament would exercise control, and neither is it compatible with the characteristics of the real private sector," Reuters cites Hamid-Reza Fouladgar, head of Iran's parliamentary commission on privatizations, as saying, citing the Iranian business daily newspaper Jahan-e-Eghtesad.

Fouladgar told the daily that shares worth the equivalent of $13 billion had been put up for sale on the Tehran Stock Exchange, but less than 13% had been purchased by "the real private sector," according to Reuters.

As part of a widespread effort to quicken the pace of economic reform, Iran's government revised article 44 of Iran's Constitution in 2006 to allow the sale of state-controlled industries. Critics say that sales of state-controlled assets have to date been semi-privatizations that have allowed the government to maintain major influence or de-facto control over the state entities being privatized.

The largest single purchase of a privatizing state firm in the history of the Tehran Stock Exchange took place last month, when a consortium affiliated with Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards Corp bought a 50% plus one share stake in Iran's state telecommunications company.

Iran creates oil task force to act for president

Reuters | Oct. 22, 2009

Iran's government has created a special task force of top officials to make decisions on oil-related issues on behalf of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Reuters news agency reported Thursday.

The Iranian business daily Jahan-e-Eghtesad said Ahmadinejad made the proposal to establish the task force, whose members include the ministers of oil, foreign affairs and industries and mines, and the central bank governor and other senior government officials, according to Reuters.

No other details were provided in the news report, Reuters said.

Israel 'met Iran' at atomic talks

BBC | Oct. 22, 2009

Senior Israeli and Iranian officials have met face-to-face and discussed the threat of nuclear arms, Israel says.

Israeli officials told the BBC each side attended panel sessions of a disarmament and non-proliferation conference in Cairo in September.

Iran had denied the Israeli accounts, but if confirmed it would be the first official exchange between the bitter foes since Iran's 1979 revolution.

Israel is believed to have nuclear arms and accuses Iran of seeking them too.

Representing Israel at the closed-door event at the Four Seasons hotel in the Egyptian capital was the head of arms control at the Israeli Atomic Agency, Meirav Zafary-Odiz, Israeli media reported.

IRGC launches own blogs to combat cyber enemies

Global Voices | Oct. 21, 2009

Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that more than forty blogs have been created to struggle against IRGC's enemies on cyber space. This action has taken place in the township of Arak, in the southwest of the Markazi province.

These new blogs have launched to publish IRGC's dogmas and are aiming to change people's mind. Moreover, these blogs are intended to avoid current Iranian issues to be debated online and replace them instead with governmental propaganda.

It should be mentioned that the IRGC announced the launch of 10.000 blogs for the paramilitary Basij forces at the end of 2008 "to control the Internet and other digital devices including SMS."

MP: Mousavi trial unwise move

Asr Iran | Oct. 21, 2009

In reaction to lawmakers' calls for taking opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi to court, Shiraz representative to Majlis Ahmad-Reza Dastgheib said such a move would be against the doctrine of the country's Supreme Leader.

"The Leader [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei] has always sought to preserve peace and unity and is opposed to creating tension," Dastgheib told ILNA Wednesday. "It would be unwise to stray from this doctrine."

Media court exonerates Etemad Melli editor

Parleman News | Oct. 21, 2009

Iran's media court exonerated the editor-in-chief of pro-reform daily Etemad Melli of all charges filed against him by the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, Safir news agency reported Wednesday.

Despite this development, the newspaper will continue to remain closed on account of other charges.

Javadi-Amoli comments on female executives

Tabnak | Oct. 20, 2009

Renowned Islamic scholar Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi-Amoli says prophethood was bestowed on males because it constitutes an 'executive' vocation.

At a Quranic commentary session on October 18, Javadi-Amoli said, "An executive vocation means being in contact with men. A large part of the job must be done by having contact with non-relative males ... [therefore] men should take on such roles."

"Executive vocations are not a vice. In our girls' high schools, it is better to have female principals. But in other executive positions, which entail interacting with male strangers, men should be in charge."

The Viennese Waltz

Foreign Reports | Oct. 22, 2009

Excerpted from full report.

The draft agreement reached in Vienna today that calls for shipping some three-quarters of Iran's declared stockpile of LEU to Russia by the end of this year still needs final approval from Tehran and the permanent members of the UN Security Council.

IAEA Director General Mohammed El Baradei was emphatic today that the deal should be viewed in a broader context. He called on all concerned to "see the big picture and see that this agreement could focus the way for a complete normalization of relations between Iran and the international community. "Everybody is aware this transaction is a very important confidence-building measure that can defuse a crisis going on for a number of years, and open space for further negotiations" on other outstanding disputes, El Baradei said.

During the first two days of talks, the Iranians obviously had their own ideas about the "choreography"--including complaining that France shouldn't be at the meetings and arranging for a bilateral session with the American side in El Baradei's office. There has been some reporting that the Iranians want the U.S. to update the instrumentation on the Tehran research reactor, which a U.S. firm supplied to Iran more than 40 years ago.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of France's Areva, Cerca, produces the specific type of fuel rods for the Triga-type reactor in Tehran. The Triga-type reactor was developed by General Atomics, a U.S. company now privately-held after it was sold by Chevron in 1986. Chevron had acquired the company when it bought Gulf Oil, which had bought it from General Dynamics. Cerca and General Atomics have a 50-50 joint venture in France. While the Iranians reportedly wanted more direct U.S. involvement, that may have been a bit much for the Obama Administration to swallow in the context of U.S. politics.

Any direct U.S. role in the deal would almost certainly require legislation in Congress rather than just an executive order or waiver.

Ahmadinejad's Hard-Line Critics and Qom

Ahmadinejad has come under some criticism from the most hard-line groups in Iran for his acknowledgement that top nuclear negotiator Said Jalili actually sat down in Geneva on October 1 with Undersecretary of State William Burns for some 40 minutes of bilateral discussions. There are also reports that Ahmadinejad sent Jalili for a meeting with Grand Ayatollahs in Qom almost immediately after he returned from the Geneva meeting. Among those Jalili met with in Qom were Grand Ayatollahs Musavi Ardebili, Javadi Amoli, Makarem Shirazi, Safi Golpayegani and Nuri Hamedani. All except for Hamedani have been harsh critics of Ahmadinejad and of the way the government handled the post-election unrest. They have resisted meeting any of Ahmadinejad's representatives. Few details of this meeting have been published, but it is possible that Ahmadinejad wanted to ensure that the Grand Ayatollahs were briefed on his diplomatic strategy with the U.S., especially if his goal is something more than obtaining a temporary reprieve from the prospect of harsher sanctions.

Iran Parliament Approves Measures To Cut Water, Food & Transportation Subsidies

Press TV | Fars | Oct. 20, 2009

Iran's parliament on Tuesday approved legislation to cut subsidies for water, food and postal and transportation services, state media reported.

Iranian MPs approved articles four and five of subsidy legislation to cut subsidies on food items such as wheat, rice, oil, milk and sugar and postal and transportation services, as well as flour and bread subsidies, the English-language Press TV channel website reported.

Text to eliminate medicine subsidies was removed from the bill before MPs approved the legislation, according to Press TV. Legislation to gradually cut water subsidies was also approved by Iran's parliament on Tuesday, according to the semi-official Fars News Agency.

All subsidy cuts are to be gradually completed by the end of Islamic Republic's fifth five-year development plan in March 2014, which is currently being drafted and must be ratified by parliament before being implemented by the government. The parliament's move follows legislation passed Sunday to cut energy subsidies and raise fuel prices to international levels during the same time period, according to state media. Subsidized fuels primarily include gasoline, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, and fuel oil.