Tehran’s Daily Newspaper Review

The funeral ceremony for the victims of the deadly blast at an IRGC munitions depot in Mallard, 30 km west of Tehran –among them a top IRGC commander and missile expert- was attended by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

Etemaad quoted Resalat’s Political Editor Amir Mohebbian, predicting the emergence of “a third current” from the body of Ahmadinejad’s supporters, in addition to the Mashaei-led so-called “Astray Current” and the divisive “Resistance Front”. The newspaper reported on former chief magistrate Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi visiting his birth town of Najaf, site of a leading millennium-old Shi’a seminary; a visit which may be the next move for the former judiciary head to announce his marja’iyat, placing him among the higher echelon of religious scholars authorized to issue jurisprudential verdicts. “No Reason for Happiness,” Abbas Abdi, the Reformist analyst, stated in the newspaper’s editorial, adding that despite the unprecedented severe tension between Ahmadinejad and his Principlist rivals, there is no reason for Reformists to watch and enjoy the widening gap, considering the critical situation Iran is facing.

“The Wall Street [Movement] targets election”, read Iran’s top headline, reporting on the OWS supporters call for a transformation in the US’ electoral mechanism. A 40% rise in petrochemical companies’ stock value, and Ahmadinejad’s new anti-Imperialism remarks were also covered by the newspaper. A report published on the front page placed the responsibility for subsidizing Tehran’s subway fares on the municipality. “Memorable farewell to the anonymous warriors”, who were killed during the deadly blast in Mallard, was also covered by the newspaper.

Jomhouri-ye Eslami reported of a serious rift between EU members which has deferred the imposition of new unilateral sanctions against Iran by the European Union. “Israel and some other countries’ abuse the IAEA,” the newspaper quoted former IAEA President Mohammad ElBaradei, who Iranian media now find more congenial than his successor Yukiya Amano. “Martyrs of IRGC’s Self-Reliance Jihad Organization” received a glorious funeral procession in Tehran, Jomhouri-ye Eslami reported, in the presence of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The newspaper’s editorial argued that the recent triple efforts of the US and Israel –assassination plot allegations, the IAEA report and UN Human Rights report- to instill fear among Iranians fell flat, and even in case of a likely military confrontation, the Iranian nation-- even those who have had problems with the post-election proceedings-- will cast away their differences and stand against the enemy.

Like Iran, Kayhan’s top headline focused on the Occupy Wall Street protests and “the new wave of crackdown in the US”. Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani’s approval of the Resistance Front, the Finance Minister’s denial of plans to increase the price of basic goods and the funeral ceremony of IRGC staff were other items appearing on the front page. “The Status of shari’ah in Regional Revolutions”, Kayhan’s editorial by Sa’dollah Zare’i, argued that pro-revolution masses support the enforcement of Islamic rules and regulations in their society, as their symbols and their practice during the uprisings clarified.

“Obama failed to garner support from APEC”, Resalat reported, referring to Chinese and Russian opposition to intensifying sanctions against Iran. In the meantime, the newspaper quoted the Minister of Industry saying that “counter-sanction approaches will become smarter.” Resalat cited Political Editor Amir-Mohebbian who stated that “Nezam welcomes the Reformists’ conditional participation in the [parliamentary] election.”

Shargh’s top headline covered the details of Majles’ decision to pamper themselves with a bill-- according to which from now on members of parliament will receive pensions amounting to 80 percent of their managerial position salary. Predictably, the law excluded legislators of the previous parliaments. Shargh also quoted the Director General of the Interior Ministry for Political Affairs Pourmousavi as saying that the Reformist alliance was denied a permission to hold its congregation on Tuesday as two banned political organizations, i.e. Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution Organization and the Islamic Iran Participation Front, were supposed to take part in the gathering.

“Promise in Shahr-e Kord” led to “protest in Esfahan”, as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made another impulsive promise during his visit to the capital city of Chahar-Mahal and Bakhtiari Province to increase the water consumption quota from the Zayandehroud River for the agriculture industry in the province, which leaves the symbolic river dry in its snaking trajectory through Esfahan. Iran’s objection to the Arab League’s decision to suspend Syria’s membership and the death sentences for four individuals convicted of murdering five citizens in the southern province of Kerman on their suspicion of the victims’ moral corruptness were also covered by the newspaper. Tehran-e Emrooz’ editorial was a eulogy penned by Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf for the key IRGC commander Hassan Tehrani-Moghaddam who was killed during the Mallard blast.

* 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.) The newspapers may also occasionally publish without an editorial.

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.

Vatan-e Emrooz (Motherland Today) is a supporter of the president’s policies.