Selected Headlines

Press Roundup provides a selected summary of news from the Iranian press, and excerpts where the source is in English. The link to the news organization or blog is provided at the top of each item. Tehran Bureau has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. Please refer to the Media Guide to help put the story in perspective.

Iran leader accuses U.S. of "war-mongering"

Reuters | Feb. 17, 2010

Iran's supreme leader accused the United States on Wednesday of war-mongering and of turning the Gulf into an "arms depot," hitting back at U.S. accusations that the Islamic state is moving toward a military dictatorship.

The comments by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were the latest sign of growing tensions between Tehran and Washington, which are embroiled in a long-running and escalating row over Iranian nuclear work the West suspects is aimed at making bombs.

The United States is leading a push for the U.N. Security Council to impose a fourth round of sanctions on Iran, which says its nuclear program is solely to generate electricity so it can export more of its oil and gas.

Last month, U.S. officials said the United States had expanded land- and sea-based missile defense systems in and around the Gulf -- a waterway crucial for global oil supplies -- to counter what it sees as Iran's growing missile threat.

Leader: Iran won't let arrogant powers ruin world

PressTV | Feb. 17, 2010

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, says the Iranian nation will stand up to arrogant powers who are dominating the world.

Addressing a group of visitors from the northwestern city of Tabriz on Wednesday, the Leader said, "Iran will not allow a few countries to ruin the future of the world."

Ayatollah Khamenei further pointed out that Western countries spread lies about the Iranian nuclear energy program and the state of democracy and human rights in Iran, because Tehran is determined to maintain its rights.

Meanwhile, the Leader slammed US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's comments during her recent tour of the Persian Gulf region, saying that "yet again the Americans have sent their agent (Clinton) like a traveler to the Persian Gulf to repeat the same lies about Iran."

Opposition fails to organize strikes

Mianeh | Feb. 17, 2010

With official labor bodies in the hands of the state, its opponents have no means of rallying workers to the cause.

Massive strikes by organized labor helped bring down the Shah of Iran, but today the government effectively controls the unions and the strike weapon in the hands of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's opponents has failed.

This month's anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when opposition leaders called for street protests, was a flop in part because police and militias swamped the streets and crushed any attempt by the Green Movement - the protest campaign that grew out of last June's contested re-election of Ahmadinejad - to gather. There was no call for a labor strike then, but such calls have been made recently and have been dismal failures.

Opposition websites have started mentioning strikes as a tactic, but the prospects of success are not great.

Iran poses no threat to Persian Gulf states: Kuwait envoy

Tehran Times | Feb. 17, 2010

Kuwait's Ambassador to Tehran, Majdi Al-Thefiri, said that Iran does not present any threat to the Persian Gulf states and other countries in the region, emphasizing this matter is proven for Kuwait.

"Countries in the region may have differing views in this regard, but all of them have understood that Iran does not present a threat to any country in the region," he said on Tuesday at a meeting with provincial officials in Bushehr Province, southern Iran.

The remarks by Kuwait's top diplomat in Iran came as the United States is deploying anti-missile systems in the Arab countries of the southern Persian Gulf under the pretext that it wants to protect them from an alleged Iranian missile threat.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was also visiting Qatar and Saudi Arabia to frighten the Persian Gulf Arab countries of Iran's peaceful nuclear program.

Iran-Kuwait ties

On the Iran-Kuwait ties, the ambassador said currently the two countries' relations have decreased, but Kuwait is ready to expand ties with Iran especially in commercial and economic areas.

He went on to say that the two countries should first strengthen their political relations to pave the way for boosting economic ties.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Kuwaiti diplomat congratulated the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, adding what really goes on in Iran differs from what is depicted outside of Iran.

Iran's "now what" moment

IPS | Feb. 17, 2010

After eight tumultuous months, during which attention from all sides of Iran's political spectrum as well as anxious watchers around the world focused on a series of street clashes between protesters and the government's security forces, an eerie calm has taken hold in Iran.

The government's ability to control the aesthetics of street demonstrations on the occasion of the revolution's 31st anniversary on Feb. 11 has once again confirmed the robust nature of the Iranian state, which used its long experience with government-sponsored demonstrations to stage what it now claims was a decisive "show of unity" involving "50 million" people "to bury the corpse of sedition."

Yet, despite the government's proclaimed unity, nothing that happened on Feb. 11 suggests that the fundamental cleavages that have rocked Iran in the past few months have been overcome.

Indeed, the only message of Feb. 11 is that, by spending a tremendous amount of resources and energy on security, arrests and mobilization, the government can control the crowds.

Ahmadinejad calls for expansion of Iran-Turkey relations

ISNA | Feb. 17, 2010

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran and Turkey can take large steps towards regional peace and stability through strengthening mutual relations.

"Iran and Turkey can take large steps which are favorable to the two countries and to regional peace and stability through strengthening brotherly relations," he said in a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Tehran.

"Islamic Republic of Iran seeks to expand ties with turkey based on goodwill and confidence and it believes that mutual and multilateral ties between Tehran-Ankara are favorable to the two countries and to the region."

Ahmet Davutoglu on his part said Iran holds a leading and determining position in the region and added his country is making efforts to mature cooperation with Iran in all sections.

He also called for faster implementation of bilateral projects and agreements.

Prosecutor Denies His own Words: I Am Not Aware of Alireza & Sourena's Whereabouts

RAHANA | Feb. 17, 2010

Jafari Dolatabadi told the families of Hashemi and Firoozi that he is not aware of the 2 student activists' whereabouts. This is while RAHANA has received reliable reports that Hashemi and Firoozi were first detained in ward 240 of Evin and have recently been moved to the cell 63 in ward 209.

Several prisoners who have recently been moved to ward 350, have told RAHANA, that prior to their transfer they saw Firoozi and Hashemi in the cell #63 of ward 209. Additionally, in a gathering outside Evin, the families of the 2 students were told by several prisoners, who were released that night, that during their detention they had seen both men in an Evin ward.

Meanwhile, Jafari Dolatabadi who had previously confirmed the detention of the 2 activists in Evin and had even ordered their transfer to another ward, told their families during a visit today that he had never made such remarks.

Alireza Firoozi and Sourena Hashemi were abducted by intelligence agents on January 2nd 2010, while on a trip to Tabriz.

Mehrdad Rahimi under Intense Interrogation

RAHANA | Feb. 17, 2010

Rahimi's family who talked to him over the phone say that he was in high spirits but complained about his detention conditions. Rahimi is being held in a small cell he shares with 6 other prisoners including Saeed Laylaz. According to Rahimi, the cell is so crammed that they cannot even sleep in a comfortable position.

According to CHRR, Rahimi is undergoing long interrogation sessions. which last several hours, to make him agree to televised confessions. Rahimi has been standing firm on his positions and considers his ongoing detention and interrogation to be illegal.

Rahimi has a master's degree in International law and was the VP of the civil rights committee of Karroubi's campaign during the June presidential election. He was arrested on January 1st, 2010 after being summoned to the investigations office of the Intelligence Ministry.