With domestic politics settling after last weekend’s Presidential election, the spotlight in the Iranian media has turned to Syria and the promotion of Tehran’s ally Bashar al-Assad.

On Press TV’s website, five of the six most-read stories concern Syria, led by the report that the US State Department pressed for strikes on the Syrian regime’s airstrips. Other leading articles including a Russian “red line” against foreign intervention — translated as “Western”, not Iranian involvement — and the spurious claim that the insurgent faction Jabhat al-Nusra has been assassinating officers from the Free Syrian Army, even as both fight the regime.

Three of four headline article on Fars English look to Syria, including a recycling of the allegation that the Syrian military seized Israeli weapons from insurgents and the portrayal of US Senators “stunned” by the advance of Assad forces. The top feature is the exaggeration that a statement by Russian President Vladimir Putin “confirmed a detailed report by [Fars] last month which said former Ba’ath regime officials are involved in the production and procurement of [chemical] weapons to the Syrian terrorists”.


The Supreme Leader Rants About Law, 2009 Elections

The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has posted the following series of tweets in which he expresses his position on law, the rule of law, what happens if a law is “not 100% correct”, the 2009 elections and “tasting joy”:

Rouhani, Rohani or Rowhani? The President-elect speaks out

Following days — even weeks — of confusion in the Western press, President-elect Hassan Rouhani finally clarifies his position on an important issue — the spelling of his surname.

Rouhani writes:

EA Worldview are pleased to note that we have been using the correct English spelling of Rouhani’s name all along.
But then, Scott Lucas did take 14th place in the US National Spelling Bee in a previous decade, and Joanna Paraszczuk is used to spelling difficult surnames.

Tasnim Speculates On Rouhani’s Cabinet

The Tasnim News Agency has published its speculations as to whom Rouhani might choose for his new cabinet.

Here are Tasnim’s suggestions (notably, Rouhani’s rival Saeed Jalili is not mentioned!):

First Vice President: Former first vice president (and former reformist Presidential candidate) Mohammad Reza Aref or former education minister Mohammad Ali Najafi.

Foreign Minister: Current Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, former foreign minister Kamal Kharrazi, or Mahmoud Vaezi

If Salehi is not chosen as Foreign Minister, he could become director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI); another possible choice is Gholam Reza Aqazadeh.

Interior Minister: Former Parliament speaker Ali Akbar Nateq Nouri, former vice president Majid Ansari, or former industries and mines minister Es’haq Jahangiri.

Intelligence Minister: Former intelligence minister Ali Younesi or Mostafa Mohaqqeq-Damad

Economy and Culture Minister: Former MP Mohammad Baqer Nobakht or MP Ali Motahhari

Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council: Ali Akbar Velayati or Masoumeh Ebtekar.

Petroleum Minister: Bijan Namdar Zanganeh (oil minister under president Mohammad Khatami and energy minister in Hashemi Rafsanjani’s administration) and Seyyed Kazem Vaziri Hamaneh (oil minister in the administration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad).

Rouhani Calls For Unity, Says “Lies And Slander” Have No Place In Iranian Politics

President-elect Hassan Rouhani said Thursday that the Islamic Republic’s system did not deserve “lies and slander” and that “problems of livelihood” were not compatible with Iran’s honor and dignity, ISNA reports.

Citing Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Rouhani called for unity, saying that this is what Khomeini had urged and noting: “The Imam said, I’m not afraid of Iran’s enemies but I am afraid of differences inside [Iran]”.

Currency Strengthens After Rouhani Election

The Iranian currency has continued its rise after last weekend’s Presidential election.

The Rial is at 33000:1 today vs. the US dollar, a rise of more than 10% vs its pre-election rate of 36400:1.

Provincial Judiciary Cancels Public Executions

The judiciary in Qazvin Province has halted public executions because of “judiciary policies and international and human rights considerations”.

The head of the judiciary said the problem arose over distribution of recordings of the executions.