Tehran's Daily Newspaper Review

Developments in the Arab World are never underreported by Jomhouri-ye Eslami. So it was not atypical to see “Hezbollah Secretary General’s Warning to US’ and Israel’s Subversion in Lebanon” as the top headline of the newspaper. Ahmadinejad’s promise “we will grant 1000 square meters of land to every Iranian household for free” was followed by an exclamation mark by the newspapers, perhaps to display it as mere hot air. News of the funeral of the Friday Prayer Leader of Yazd –Mohammad Khatami’s home city- was published in the center of the front page. Friday prayer leaders are influential figures in Iranian politics, especially in smaller cities where their power sometimes transcends that of a governor or the sheriff.

Hassan Nasrullah’s reaction to the STL proceedings were also highlighted by Kayhan. According to the staunch Principlist daily, the Secretary General of Hezbollah has displayed “tens of documents” to prove “Hariri tribunal’s verdict is retribution for the 33-day war with Hezbollah”. The newspaper covered the pro-change rallies in Syria with the headline “Meeting between the Salafis of four countries in Riyadh to fuel the Syrian crisis”.

Resalat, a moderate conservative newspaper, has chosen comments by a moderate (and senile) conservative, Habibollah Asgarowladi, about the (desperately denied) rift inside the Principlist camp with the headline “no fragmentation inside the Principlists”. Hard to deny when Ahmadinejad’s team are increasingly unwilling to introduce themselves with this epithet. Related to this was the news of the denial of conservative Ali-Akbar Velayati’s resignation from a seven-member committee created to forge unity among the Principlists on the verge of the parliamentary elections. Ahmadinejad’s promise of 1000 square meter-land for all Iranians was also published by Resalat, though exclamation mark-less, unlike Jomhouri-ye Eslami.

A cornered Ahmadinejad may give sporadic hints of the scope of what he can state –or claim- if irritated. After his strong tone in his latest press conference on the problem of uncontrolled customs’ checkpoints, even for military, intelligence and defense products, the Commander of Sepah, Gen. Mohammad Ali Ja’fari, has responded to him saying that talks of “trade exchange in Sepah’s checkpoints is a diversionary issue,” adding that such talk is by individuals who have vested interests. In Majles, Ali Motahhari, Ahmadinejad’s arch-critic, submitted a letter to the legislative’s presiding board, claiming that “MPs questioning the president are under pressure”. He also warned the interior minister of impeachment if he or any of his governors tried to pressure MPs to refute their vote for summoning the president to Majles.

Tehran-e Emrooz chose Nasrullah’s “Warning about conspiracy against the Lebanese government” as its top headline. It also ran a report on the failure of US sanctions against Iran’s energy sector –ever since the D’Amato act of 1995- speaking of “77 billion dollars of foreign investment in Iran”. Tehran-e Emrooz also reported Ali-Akbar Velayati’s resignation from the Principlists’ electoral committee, while also quoting Qalibaf’s right hand and member of the Tehran City Council, Morteza Talayi, as saying that the “Unity mechanism of Principlists’ is non-comprehensive”.

The front page of pro-Ahmadinejad Vatan-e Emrooz was also hogged by a large shot of Hassan Nasrullah and the sensational headline “You can’t do it even in 300 years” -reminiscent of Iranian sports tabloids- in reference to arrest warrants issued by the STL for senior Hezbullah members. Vatan-e Emrooz also ran “Assassination jurist, assassination patron” on Antonio Cassese, STL head, and his efforts to remove the name of anti-Islamic Republic terrorist group Mojahedin-e Khalgh from the US and EU blacklists. Canadians shouted at Prince William and his wife, “British parasites go away!” according to the newspaper.

* Note: Vatan-e Emrooz does not publish on Thursdays.

Trouble with understanding some terms? Check our Glossary of Iranian Political Terms.

Briefing

Hamshahri (Citizen) is the official daily newspaper of Tehran's Municipality. Its general directions in politics, culture and economy are determined by the mayor of Tehran, currently Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

Iran is the official organ of the administration.

Jomhouri-ye Eslami (The Islamic Republic) was known as the official organ of the Party of the Islamic Republic, founded in 1979 and disbanded in 1987. Currently, it is an open critique of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's policies and is known to be a mouthpiece of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Kayhan (Universe) is a hard-line conservative newspaper. Its editor-in-chief –currently Hossein Shari’atmadari- is appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader. Shari’atmadari’s editorials often spark off controversy and debate inside Iranian political circles.

Resalat (Mission) belongs to the moderate wing of the principlist camp. Resalat’s best known analyst is Amir Mohebbian, its political editor.

Shargh (East) is a moderate reformist newspaper. It was the most popular and influential reformist newspaper in its first period of publication which lasted from August 2003 until September 2006.

Tehran-e Emrooz (Tehran Today) is a ‘principlist reformist’ newspaper, connected to Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

Vatan-e Emrooz (Motherland Today) -which started its publication in November 2008-, belongs to Mehrdad Bazrpash, the thirty-old pro-Ahmadinejad politician who is also head of Iran's second largest auto manufacturer company, Saipa. Vatan-e Emrooz is a supporter of the president’s policies.