Tehran’s Daily Newspaper Review
Good news came out of the joint government-Majles session held yesterday in Baharestan, site of the Iranian parliament. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense seems reluctant to leave the dailies’ front pages, successively inaugurating new weapons and military projects guaranteed to gain coverage, the most recent being the opening of a production line for what is claimed to be the world’s fastest torpedo-launchers.
Hamshahri
Head of the Central Bank Requests: Not every piece of commodity should enter the country
Manufacturing of Two New Iranian War Fleets Begins
Iran
Head of Iran’s Central Bank: Foreign exchange reserves doubled after sanctions
Asalouyeh (1) Gas Arrives in East [of Iran]
Manufacture of the World’s Fastest Torpedo-Launcher Begins in Iran
Jomhouri-ye Eslami
Deputy Finance Minister Announces: 5.5 million in underprivileged areas identified for extra subsidies
Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani in Meeting with a Group of [Religious] Scholars, Clerics and Friday Prayer Leaders of Tehran and Qom: Solidarity of all social groups and adoption of wise solutions will neutralize foreign threats
Head of the Central Bank: The country’s foreign exchange reserves have doubled
Kayhan
Ahmadinejad in an Interview with Aljazeera: Attacking Iran is not a computer game
10 Foreign Investors Participate in Petrochemical Projects
With the Attendance of Vice-President [Mohammad Reza Rahimi]: Asalouyeh-Iranshahr (2) Pipeline Inaugurated
Khabar
Majles Starts Discussing the “Support for Family” Bill: The controversial bill awaiting the challenge of pros and cons
Speaker of the “Economic Transformation” Workgroup: I don’t know the amount of subsidies to be paid
Resalat
Ahmadinejad in Government-Majles Joint Meeting: We are ready to serve the people beside the Majles
Iran’s Defense Minister Warns Enemies: Do not play with fire; Iran’s response will be unpredictable
Seyyed Morteza Nabavi: Heads’ of Fetneh file is bulky
Shargh
Prosecutor General Admits Suspension of Three Senior Officials: The Kuy [-e Daneshgah] case should have been facilitated
Elias Naderan (3) Summoned to Court
Tehran-e Emrooz
Majles’ Women’s Day: Reports from discussions on the “Support for Family” Bill at Majles and Reactions by Political Figures
Adhering to Law, Following the Leader, Avoiding Short-Sightedness: Majles representatives speak of unity
Turks’ Envoys Traveled to Washington: Struggle over Iran continues between Turkey and the US
Vatan-e Emrooz
Salahshour’s (4) Unspoken Words
The First Step for Realization of the Leader of Revolution’s Advice Taken by the Government and Majles: The Meeting of Unity in the House of the Nation [Majles]
Minister of Defense Warns Enemies Not to Play with Fire: Production line of torpedo-launchers inaugurated
(1) Asalouyeh is the site of Iran’s main gas field, South Pars, shared with Qatar (which calls its North Dome) located in south, on the coast of the Persian Gulf.
(2) Iranshahr is a city located in Iran’s Sistan va Baluchestan Province, in the southeast of the country.
(3) Elias Naderan, one of the leading Principlist MPs, has spearheaded accusations of financial corruption against Ahmadinejad’s Vice-President, Mohammad Reza Rahim. Both sides have filed lawsuits against each other in Iran’s judiciary.
(4) Faraj-o-lla, a member of the small group of revolutionary directors in Iranian cinema, is the director of the popular TV series Yousof-e Payambar (Yousef the Messenger). He was later accused and sentenced on charges of script plagiarism.
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.
Jomhuri-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 anlayst is Amir Mohebbian, its political editor.
Tehran-e Emrooz (Tehran Today) is a ‘principlist reformist’ newspaper, connected to Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.
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.
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.