LATEST: Were Rouhani’s Corruption Comments Aimed at Revolutionary Guards?

Pursuing an initiative promised by President Rouhani at the United Nations in September 2013, Iran is hosting the first conference of the “World Against Extremism and Violence”.

Rouhani greeted participants from more than 40 countries with a call for the UN to play a more active role in the campaign against terrorism.

Encouraging regional and international cooperation “to build a world free of violence”, the President said “states that support Takfiri terrorist groups” — a label covering the Islamic State, insurgents in southeastern Iran, and Syrian opposition fighters, among others — should renounce violence and terror.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, and representatives from the Palestinian movement Hamas are among those at the two-day event.


Were Rouhani’s Corruption Comments Aimed at Revolutionary Guards?

A well-placed EA correspondent in Iran comments on our Monday story on President Rouhani’s comments about corruption in the Iranian system — and perhaps explains why they were played down in Iran’s media:

I think an important point was missed out — Rouhani’s attack on Sepah [the Revolutionary Guards].

Rouhani mentioned that when weapons, wealth, and media are in control of a single institution, an inevitable result would be corruption.

It is notable that Akbar Turkanddlank”>harshly criticised the Basij militia: he said a “resistance economy” does not mean handing the Government to Commander Naqdi [the head of the Basij].

This was after Naqdi said that the Basij are prepared to help the Government on economic issues.

I believe that soon we will witness attacks on Rouhani and his Government from Sepah and their allies.

Top Atomic Official: We Will Continue Testing Advanced Centrifuges…and We Will Not Send Our Uranium Abroad

Iran’s top atomic official has poured cold water on reported Iranian concessions in the nuclear talks with the 5+1 Powers.

Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization, said that Iran will continue research and development of advanced uranium centrifuges after the extension of the talks to July 1.

Salehi implied that the immediate replacement for the 40-year-old IR-1 centrifuges could become operational: “At present, we have 1000 machines of the second generation of centrifuges which have been installed. A chain of which, including 164 machines, is now under test.”

He also said Iran is in possession of IR-4 and IR-6 centrifuges. IR-8 centrifuges are undergoing mechanical tests, although Iran will not inject uranium into them while talks continue.

Western officials had told media outlets that Iran had suspended research and development under the 7-month extension, agreed after negotiations failed to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement on November 24.

Salehi also denied reports that Iran was favorable to a proposal to send most of its low-enriched uranium overseas for further processing: “We will not give fuel to anyone and we are not supposed to send it abroad.”