Tehran's Daily Newspaper Review

Ahmadinejad's reaction to the ever-increasing pressure on his team was reflected in Iran daily’s bold headline: “Addressing petty impediments to attack the government; President: We will step aside with no modesty when the time of serving [the citizens] is over”. Ahmadinejad added that his opponents would start a major attack against him if there were truly any blemishes on the government. He also stated that the cabinet will not allow opponents to set an agenda for it.

Jomhouri-ye Eslami printed in bold font the Judiciary speaker’s blunt remarks, in response to Ahmadinejad calling pressure against his cabinet a “red line”. According to Mohseni Ezhe’i “Enforcing the law knows no red line” and “The recent arrests [of Ahmadinejad's close aids] are not political”. The headline was collated with respected cleric Ayatollah Javadi Amoli’s remarks that “A large portion of crimes are due to the Judiciary’s weak performance”.

Kayhan’s top headline was Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu’s visit to Tehran and the “Intensive negotiations between Iran and Turkey over regional developments”, i.e. the tumultuous situation in Syria, Iran's –and once Turkey’s- close regional partner. The “Opening ceremony of four major civil and industrial projects in Western Azerbaijan” province in presence of the president was Kayhan’s second headline. The newspaper also quoted Deputy Chief Magistrate Ebarhim Ra’isi, who said that detention of the “Astray Current” –Esfandiar Mashaei’s inner circle- will continue-- bad news for the government.

Resalat focused on the Supreme Leader’s meeting with members of Iran’s and Tehran's chambers of commerce, where Ayatollah Khamenei adviced the private sector to engage in grand economic projects. Former President Mohammad Khatami –who has become more vocal in recent weeks -was accused of “Gambling with Reformists’ social capital” and “surfing over the Reform wave”. Resalat did not neglect to criticize the government, citing Secretary General of the conservative party Mo’talefeh who claimed, “People are objecting intractable prices”.

Shargh quoted the Supreme Leader’s self-proclaimed “traditional Reformist” brother, Seyyed Hadi Khamenei, who said that “Removing electoral restrictions [Mohammad Khatami's demand] is an entitlement, not a stipulation” to be set by power-holders for Reformists’ participation in the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The “Three-hour negotiation between Salehi and Davutoglu”, Iranian and Turkish foreign ministers, “regional rivals” according to Tehran-e Emrooz, was the newspaper’s top headline. “One thousand Tomans to become one Toman” was the daily’s headline on the government’s harboring the idea of removing zeros from the national currency. Ahmadinejad's claim of 10% economic growth, the highest rate of growth for Iran in years, also attracted the newspaper’s attention. Tehran-e Emrooz added that no domestic official authority has confirmed Ahmadinejad's figures, and the country is actually witnessing a negative growth rate in the oil sector and a 4% rate for the industrial sector.

The “Bells toll for America’s bankruptcy” according to IMF director. Vatan-e Emrooz also quoted Iran's first post-Revolution president Abol-Hassan Bani Sadr -now living in exile in Paris- on the “West’s support for the Reformists’ return”. The impeached president also claimed that the “Europeans have invested in the Reformists” due to their sweet memories of the Reformists era. Tehran MP Mojtaba Agha-Tehrani, a pro-Ahmadinejad legislator, also predicted, “People won’t vote for Fetneh’s companions”.

* 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.

Khabar (News) is a principlist daily newspaper which adopts a critical stance towards Ahmadinejad's policies.

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.