LATEST: High-Level UN Official — and former US Assistant Secretary of State — Feltman in Tehran for Syria Talks

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A curious incident this morning in the Iranian press highlights a possible division within the regime over its line on Syria, notably the chemical weapons attack on Wednesday.

On Saturday, President Rouhani used an interview to condemn the attack, noting that Iran had suffered from such assaults during its war with Iraq in the 1980s, and called on the international community “to use all its power to prevent the use of such weapons in all places”.

However, Rouhani refrained from blaming Syrian insurgents for the deaths of at least 1,360 people.

This was not sufficient for Fars News, the outlet of the Revolutionary Guards, which headlined, “Iranian President Strongly Condemns Terrorists’ Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria“.

What does this mean? We offer possibilities in a separate analysis.

Latest Updates, From Top to Bottom

Head of Revolutionary Guards: “We Are Monitoring the Enemy”

The head of the Revolutionary Guards, Mohammad Ali Jafari, has shown more military concern over a possible US action on Syria — following the warning of the deputy head of armed forces that “any crossing of Syria’s red line will have severe consequences” — with the declaration, “We are monitoring enemy movements closely.”

High-Level UN Official — and former US Assistant Secretary of State — Feltman in Tehran for Syria Talks

Another significant diplomatic move on Syria, with United Nations Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman arriving in Tehran on Sunday night for talks with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday.

Feltman is also likely to discuss developments in Lebanon and Egypt with high-ranking Iranian officials.

Feltman was US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs from August 2009 to June 2012 and served before that as Ambassador to Lebanon for 3 1/2 years.

IRGC Commander Warns Tehran Would “Defend Itself” If “Ongoing Events” Turn Into Threats To Iran

In another sign of Tehran’s increasing concern over a possible U.S. response to Wednesday’s chemical weapons attack near Damascus, Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) commander Major General Mohammad Ali Ja’fari said IRGC forces “are monitoring and observing threatening moves [of the enemy]” with “extreme vigilance.”

Press TV reported Jafari as saying that “regional upheavals are emerging in the form of threats, requiring awareness, vigilance and intelligence [to counter them]” and that Tehran would “feel obliged to defend itself” if enemy actions turned into direct or indirect threats against the country, including by Israel.

“In the ongoing bloody events in the region, the Zionist regime’s role is becoming clearer every day, but the final outcome of these events will definitely not be in the interest of this regime,” he said.

Larijani Accuses “Terrorists” Of Perpetrating WMD Attack In Syria

Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani has blamed “terrorists” for perpetrating Wednesday’s chemical weapons attack near Damascus, and said the acts created opportunities for the U.S. and the “Zionist regime” to fuel sectarian conflict and to “make false peace with the Palestinians”.

Larijani said that other recent events, particularly the bombings in Lebanon, were “U.S.- Zionist plots” designed to fuel sedition and conflict.

Supreme Leader’s Office Blames US and Israel for Chemical Weapons Attack in Syria

The Supreme Leader’s office has issued a series of tweets on Wednesday’s chemical weapons attack near Damascus.
An initial condemnation of chemical weapons is soon followed by a claim that the real culprits are…the US and Israel.

The stream of tweets supports EA’s analysis that the hard line on Syria — blaming the insurgents for last week’s attack that killed at least 1,360 people — has come from Ayatollah Khamenei.

See also Iran Analysis: Is Regime Divided Over Its Line on Syria Chemical Weapons Attack?

Rouhani Promises “Basic Goods Secured Until March”

The office of President Rouhani claims via Twitter that the President is already dealing with economic problems and providing some security for Iranians:

Deputy Head of Military Warns US Against Intervention in Syria

General Massoud Jazayeri, the deputy head of armed forces, has declared, “America knows the limitation of the red line of the Syrian front and any crossing of Syria’s red line will have severe consequences for the White House.”

Meanwhile, Press TV brings out its “analyst” and conspiracy theorist Kevin Barrett to declare that the world is on the “edge of World War III”:

Fars News: Saudi Arabia Takes Over Leadership of Egyptian Crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood

In addition to their latest propaganda on Syria, Fars News and the Revolutionary Guards lash out at Saudi Arabia this morning, blaming it for the leadership of the Egyptian regime’s crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood.

The website claims Prince Bandar Bin Sultan, head of the Saudi National Security Council, has taken over the operation from the United Arab Emirates.

“Abu Dhabi set up an operation room and headquarters headed by Emirati Brigadier General Mohammad Tariq and Saudi Brigadier General Turki Ahmed last year to hit and undermine Muslim Brotherhood before former President Mursi was ousted by the army in early July,” according to “sources” claimed by Fars.

“The operation room was in close contact with different European capitals and the US and made continuous attempts to foment unrests by coaxing Egyptians to participate in street demonstrations against the Brotherhood.”

The source continued, “The operation room was transferred to Riyadh under the leadership of Prince Bandar Bin Sultan”, asserting that Saudi Arabia has delivered $1.3 billion to Cairo under the guise of humanitarian aid for operations.