Tehran's Daily Newspaper Review

Etemaad interviewed Gholam-Hossein Hassantash, energy expert, who emphasized that the new oil Minister Rostam Ghasemi’s priority in his two-year tenure should be altering the incorrect decisions made by his predecessors and concentrating the ministry’s energy on the South Pars gas field, jointly used by Iran and Qatar. Etemaad also republished an interview with Hamid Baqaei, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei’s right hand man, who called Ahmadinejad “the commander of Leader [‘s army]”, in an attempt to dismiss rumors about the differences between the two highest-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic. Members of the parliament, who recently approved a bill suggesting implementation of regulatory mechanisms regarding their conduct, are now calling for similar bills to be approved in order to put under scrutiny the conduct of other bodies, including the Guardian Council and the Council of Expediency Discernment. Etemaad’s editorial by Member of the Parliament Mousa Ghorbani related to the same issue, and argued for an inclusive regulatory act which could dispel doubts about the political intentions of such bills.

Iran reported of the government’s success in creating 1 million new jobs in the first six months of the current Persian Year (late March to late September), boasting of “the government’s giant leap in realization of 2.5 million job opportunities,” promised by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in March. The front page’s top photo displayed clashes between the New York police (NYPD) and demonstrators in the Wall Street District of Manhattan. In the editorial, Ali-Akbar Javanfekr renewed his defense of the government against accusations of corruption following the mega-fraud scandal at Saderat Bank.

Jomhouri-ye Eslami reported of pressures from “certain people” –most likely referring to Mashaei’s circle- regarding the embezzlement dossier, quoting Gholam-Reza Assadollahi, legislator and member of the Majles’ special committee, on the 2.6 billion dollar bank fraud case. Wall Street demonstrations, the low turnout in Saudi Arabian elections, and the final declaration of the Fifth Palestine Conference in Tehran also attracted the attention of the newspaper.

Kayhan’s top headline was Hezbollah Leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrullah’s message to Tehran's Palestine Conference, in which he stressed that the fall of dominoes (dictatorships in the Middle East and North Africa) is a product of the Islamic Republic. “Wall Street is [another] Tahrir Square” Kayhan reported from New York, complementing it with an economic essay which called the Wall Street financial giants “octopi”. In Kayhan’s editorial, “Crossing the Red Line”, Hesameddin Boroumand, spoke of the Islamic Awakening that has transformed the region, inspiring protests even in the heartland of capitalism, the US, and undermining Israel in the region.

Resalat’s front page was dominated by news from the closing ceremony of the fifth Tehran conference in support of the Palestinian Intifada. The newspaper also reported of Tel Aviv’s fear following Ayatollah Khamenei’s explicit remarks on the Palestinian cause. Mohammad-Kazem Anbarloui’s account of the 2.6 billion dollar embezzlement from a “different angle” warned about the ‘Islamic Republic’s dysfunctionality’ campaign advanced by the media and described it as a sequel to the ‘overthrow project’ implemented after the 2009 disputed presidential election.

Shargh reported of the back-to-back disclosure of documents by the media that have provided a new portrait of the billion-dollar embezzlement. According to recent letters published by some websites, against the claims made by Saderat Bank senior officials, the managing board and the president of the bank were directly involved in providing banking services to the Aria Group, the mega-enterprise behind the bank fraud scandal. Shargh gave depth to the story, interviewing Saleh Nikbakht, Saderat Bank’s lawyer in the 123 million dollar case of the mid 90s, which held the record as the biggest case in bank scandals until the recent fraud was disclosed. Shargh’s unexpected headline on the front page was a quote from Mohammad Khoshchehreh, an orthodox Principlist and once a supporter of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who claimed that the sinuous trend of the dollar exchange rate might be used by elements inside the government to fund their parliamentary electoral campaign.

Tehran-e Emrooz published a photo of the Chief Police Commander Brig. Ahmadi-Moghaddam, who spoke about the legal aspects of the police force’s operation in dismantling satellite dishes. Tehran-e Emrooz fiscal report criticized the Central Bank for lethargy in the gold market bubble and dollar price oscillation, suggesting that the Central Bank is benefiting from the situation. In its editorial, Tehran-e Emrooz asked five questions: If the government is largely blameless in the bank fraud scandal why are we witnessing belligerence instead of collaboration with the Judiciary? Why is Iran, the government’s official newspaper, placing the blame on other state bodies? Why has the Resistance Front (1) remained suspiciously silent about the issue while it speaks of purifying the Principlist camp all the time? Why are the Central Bank President and the Minister of Finance remaining secure in their position? And why was Melli Bank administered by a person who held dual citizenship (Iranian-Canadian), and who gained a considerable wealth during his service?

Vatan-e Emrooz focused on the detention of 700 demonstrators in the Wall Street protests. Sayyid Hassan Nasrullah and Ismail Haniyeh’s comments on the Palestinian issue also appeared on its front page. The newspaper also criticized the iconic traditional singer Mohammad-Reza Shajarian for his political views (in support of the Green Movement.)

(1) An alliance of former Ahmadinejad ministers who intend to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections and have so far upset the Principlist camp by refusing to join a united slate. The group is accused by some Principlists of being a covert tool of the “Astray Current” to sow rift among the Principlist camp.

* Notes:

The editorial section of Iranian newspapers is not the work of the editor-in-chief or the senior editorial staff of the newspaper by default, but can be a contribution by experts and politicians (typically agreeing with the newspaper’s political stance.)

Vatan-e Emrooz daily does not publish on Thursdays.

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

Briefing

Etemaad is a Reformist newspaper owned by former MP Elias Hazrati. The newspaper supported Mehdi Karroubi in the 2005 and 2009 elections. In 2010, it was temporarily banned from publishing (for a three-month period) by the Judiciary.

Iran is the official organ of the administration. Its current editor-in-chief is Ali-Akbar Javanfekr, former media advisor to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

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 directly 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, Tehran Mayor and a likely candidate of the 2013 presidential election.