Tehran’s Daily Newspapers Review

Hamshahri

Flamingoes Permanent Farewell to Lake Urmia [Due to Increasing Salinity]

First Festival of Citizens’ Cooperation and Urban Service Opens

1.5% Increase in Unemployment Rate

Iran

The Secrets and Dreams of Konkour’s (1) Top Contestants

With Ratification by the Council of Expediency Discernment: Execution for Crystal Meth smugglers

Iranian Officials Explicate: Clear signs of espionage by three American nationals

Jomhouri-ye Eslami

Bashar Assad: We will not allow the undermining of the Resistance; Hezbollah is Syria’s red line

Minister of Agriculture: Stop importing rice

Anti-British Demonstrations and the Burning of [British FM David] Cameroon’s Effigy in Pakistan

Kayhan

In Response to Washington’s Demand for Enforcing [Unilateral] Sanctions; Japan: We don’t follow the U.S. in sanctions

Bashar Assad: We will stand by Hezbollah forever

Funeral of Hamas’ Senior Commander; Palestinian Resistance: We won’t stay silent

Khabar

Continuation of Drinking Water Contamination: The row between mineral water and oil soars

Ruhollah Hosseinian [Principlist MP] States: Formation of a Committee to Resolve Disputes between the Government and the Parliament

President [Ahmadinejad]: Some inside the country collaborate with the enemy

Resalat

Foreign Minister [Manouchehr Mottaki] Warns West: Iran’s defense against threats is limitless

Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani: Deprive outside enemies of excuses by unity inside

Obama Fears the Name of WikiLeaks

Shargh

Speaker of the Guardian Council: No indiscriminate rejection of [election nominees’] qualification

President Sues Ali Motahhari (2)

Tehran-e Emrooz

Unemployment Rises Nationally

Mohammad Nouri Passes Away after 60 Years of Singing: The silence of Iran’s most blessed singer

Society of the Devotees of the Islamic Republic [Principlist Entity] Slams the Government and the Bazaar: The days of strikes in the Bazaar and pressuring the government have passed

Vatan-e Emrooz

The Everlasting Voice of Maestro Mohammad Nouri [Iranian Pop Singer] Joins Eternity at 81: You Stay [allusion to one of his famous songs]

Iran Reacts to Obama’s Recent Remarks: Judicial treatment of the case of the three arrested Americans

(1)   Konkour is the highly competitive national examination held for students who intend to enter into undergraduate or graduate studies at Iranian universities.

(2)   Ali Motahhari, son of the late Ayatollah Motahhari –a revolutionary ideologue who was assassinated at the early months after the Islamic Revolution- is an orthodox Principlist MP and an ardent critique of both Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the reformists.

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.