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In the latest sign of regime in-fighting in Iran, a Vice President has called on the judiciary to investigate “recent insults” against President Rouhani (pictured).

Majid Ansari denounced “unprecedented affronts and insults”, as he said officials have been attempting to bait Rouhani into engaging in “illogical confrontations”.

Ansari attributed the insults to maneuvers for Presidential elections next May, “Those who have saddled the electoral horse and galloped to the arena of misconduct must return to the arena of morality and observe the law.”

However, the latest round of jabs at Rouhani have included the proclamation of a Friday Prayer Leader — who works with guidelines from the Supreme Leader’s office — that the President is “Mr Gullible” for trusting the US over implementation of the July 2015 nuclear deal.

Another prayer leader said, “The people are tired of the empty slogans about the nuclear deal. They consider it to be a victory for our vengeful enemies like America.” And a third challenged the Government over the economic outcome, “When the nuclear deal was signed, people said that it would remove sanctions. Yet nothing of the sort has been seen.”

See Iran Daily: Friday Prayer Leaders Press Rouhani Over Nuclear Deal

Months of hardline and conservative pressure on Rouhani has been galvanized by the Supreme Leader’s escalating criticism. Last week Ayatollah Khamenei indicated that Iran might step away from the nuclear deal, implemented in January, with the declaration that negotiations with Washington are “lethal poison” as “one cannot trust the Americans’ word on any issue”.

Rouhani responded a careful defense of the agreement the following day. While accepting that “the US failed to properly carry out its obligations and missed out on the opportunity for cooperation in other areas”, he stood by the deal and its potential economic benefits: “[The agreement] has been implemented very well in some areas, like oil exports.”

See Iran Daily, August 2: Supreme Leader Denounces US over Nuclear Agreement
Iran Daily, August 3: Rouhani Defends Nuclear Deal

Tehran Prosecutor-General Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said on Sunday that “insults, spreading lies, and printing falsities” against Government officials are crimes. However, there is no indication that he or the judiciary will intervene in the political battle over the nuclear deal and economic policy.

Amid that battle, the Government has been beset by the “payslips scandal”, in which officials have been exposed for excessive salaries, bonuses, and perquisites. While the initial revelations pointed to culprits — such as heads of banks — who were not appointed by the current administration, hardliners have expanded the allegations to include Rouhani’s brother Hossein Fereydoun and 1st Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri.

Iran Daily, July 30: Prayer Leaders Call for Trials in Salaries Scandal


Regime Bans Pokemon Go Because of “Security Concerns”

The Iranian regime has banned Pokemon Go, citing “security concerns” about user data.

Abdolhassan Firouzabadi, the head of the Supreme Cyberspace Council, announced the widely-expected decision. In May, officials in the Culture Ministry said the gaming application posed “certain security risks” for Iranian users such as storage of user data in servers located outside the couontry.

Iranian officials have said messaging services should store data on Iranian users in servers located inside Iran, or face being blocked.


Supreme Leader: “We Won’t Back Down from US”

The Supreme Leader has again struck a tough pose towards the US, as he emphasizes challenge rather than engagement.

Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi and other senior officials of the ministry on Tuesday:

Keeping a distance from the head of the arrogant movement, i.e. the US, is one of the most important definitive principles of the great founder of the Islamic Republic [Ayatollah Khomeini] and there is no room for any compromise or negligence in this regard.

Ayatollah Khamenei hailed the relentless efforts of the ministry, describing it as a “very important and crucial bastion” and “the wakeful and observant eye of the Islamic establishment.

Khamenei has stepped up pressure on the Government, ruling out any interaction with the US except implementation of the nuclear deal — and now raising questions over even that process.

KHAMENEI INTELLIGENCE MINISTRY 09-08-16

The Supreme Leader also continued his recent emphasis on the threat of “sedition” and “terrorism” inside Iran, declaring “any effort to weaken the faith of the people and officials” as “treason”.

He added, “The Ministry of Intelligence must be present in any sector that the enemy can use for a base to attack the Islamic establishment. It must consider that area to be its area of activity.”