Tehran’s Daily Newspaper Review

Hamshahri

People’s Enthusiastic Participation in the 13^th of Aban Anniversary

66 Killed in Suicide Attack at Friday Prayers’ Ceremony in Pakistan

64 Dead in Indonesian Volcano Eruption

Iran

Minister of Trade’s 48-Hour Ultimatum: 100 Companies ordered to cut the prices of products

Statistical Center of Iran: Housing prices in Tehran fall by 3 percent

Harsh Reaction to Tax-Shy Gold Merchants Sets Off

Jomhouri-ye Eslami

Strong Protest Against Foreign Intervention in Iraq’s Organized Crimes [Terrorist Attacks]

On the National Day of Battle against Global Imperialism [13^th of Aban]: Chants of “Death to America” resonate across the country

[Former IAEA chief inspector] Hans Blix: Iran’s nuclearization not a threat

Kayhan

[Head of State-Run TV, Ezzat-o-Llah] Zarghami (1) on 13^th of Aban Anniversary: The imperialism camp a spider web (2) against Islamic Iran

Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami, Tehran’s Friday Prayers’ Leader: The Islamic Revolution’s culture exported around the world today

Saudi Arms and Explosives in the Hands of Iraq’s Terrorists

Khabar

Election for [Principlist] Majority Faction’s Board of Directors to Be Held Tomorrow: Ali Larijani, Principlists’ sole nominee

[Diego] Maradona [in Tehran], Ahmadinejad’s Gift to the National [Soccer] Team

Abbas Abdi (3): Left-imbued political development doomed to fail

Resalat

Seyyed Ezzat-o-Llah Zarghami, Head of the TV and Radio Organization at 13^th of Aban Anniversary Rally: The result of [Iran’s 2009 presidential] election, evidence of failure of Obama’s policies

Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami at Tehran’s Friday Prayers: 170 Foreign websites active against Purposeful Plans

Ministry of Intelligence: 4 Terrorists arrested in West of Iran

Shargh

[Abd-ol-Hossein] Ruh-ol-Amini’s (4) Account of Kahrizak Victims: Death of my child prevented other incidents

Majles Resumes Visits to Prisons

U.S. Seeking Tougher Stipulations for Fuel Swap; Iran Denies Receiving a New Proposal

Tehran-e Emrooz

Uninvited Guest: A Source Close to [Ali] Larijani Denies Invitation for [Former UK Foreign Minister] Jack Straw to Visit Iran

Manifestation of Anti-Imperialism on 13^th of Aban Anniversary

[Qom Friday Prayers’ Leader] Hojjat-ol-Eslam Saeedi: Fetneh-perpetrators repent and return

Vatan-e Emrooz

7 Days after the Imprudent Remarks of [UK] Intelligence Service [John Sawers] against Iran, [Iran’s] Ministry of Intelligence Carries Out: Seizure of 4 British terrorists

Minister of Trade’s Ultimatum: Price reductions for the products of 100 companies

Brazilian [Dilma Rousseff] President-Elect in an Interview with CNN: Friendly relations with Iran will continue

* Note: Khabar and Vatan-e Emrooz do not publish on Thursdays.

(1) Ezzat-o-Llah Zarghami is the Head of the state-run TV and Radio, and a member of the group of Islamist students who seized the U.S. embassy in the Fall of 1979.

(2) ‘spider web’ is a Qur’anic metaphor (Verse 41 of The Spider surah in Qur’an) referring to weakness of the enemies of God/Islam/Muslims etc. (“the likeness of those who have taken guardians, other than Allah, is as the likeness of the spider that takes to itself a house; surely the spider’s house is the weakest house if they but knew.”). The best known use of the metaphor was perhaps in Hezbollah Leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrullah’s speech after Israel’s withdrawal from South Lebanon in 2000.

(3) Abbas Abdi is a prominent Reformist theoretician and journalist who was also a member of the student group that seized the U.S. embassy in 1979.

(4) Abd-ol-Hossein Ruh-ol-Amini is a former member of the Revolutionary Guards and father of Mohsen Ruh-ol-Amini, one of the four post-election victims of the notorious Kahrizak detention center. He was head of Mohsen Rezaee’s election headquarters in the 2009 presidential election.

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.

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.