A selection of the latest news stories and editorials published in Iranian news outlets, compiled by the AEI Critical Threats Project's Iran research team.
- President Rouhani invited Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah al Ahmad al Jabar al Sabah for an official visit to Tehran. The two are scheduled to hold a meeting on June 1 to discuss opportunities to enhance economic cooperation.
- President Hassan Rouhani spoke about the need to enhance ties with Asia-Pacific countries ahead of his trip to China for the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia: “In the east, countries including Japan, China, and India have a special importance to us…Relations [with China] must expand. China is one of the members of the P5+1 and we negotiate [with it] in the nuclear negotiations.”
- Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani announced that some “economic corruptors” will receive a death sentence. Parliament officials said they would not release the names of those charged with “economic corruption.” The “corruptors” had already been convicted of corruption charges in Europe for accepting bribes and kickbacks.
- Lebanese Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem claimed that “The entrance of Lebanese Hezbollah in the Syrian conflict was to defend the Resistance. It was not about supporting a system or a specific individual whatsoever.” He continued:
- “Entering this war was necessary and essential. We were and are not ever regretful of such an entrance. This is a political decision.”
- “The cost of our presence in Syria was far less than what we had predicted. We in return gained very prominent results.”
- “The Syrian system has surpassed dangers. The only thing that the opposition can do is to lengthen the time of the crisis.”
- “When the Zionist regime attacked Lebanon and occupied parts of this country, Imam Khomeini sent a group of IRGC to train Lebanese in the Zabadani region. This was how a party called ‘Lebanese Hezbollah’ took shape. It is active based on the ideals of the Late Imam. In reality ‘Lebanese Hezbollah’ is a subsidiary of the same ‘Iranian Hezbollah.’”
- Head of the Faction of Resistance in the Lebanese Parliament Mohammad Ra’ad announced “The new [Lebanese] President must not abandon these three principles [of nation, army and Resistance] under pressure and must remain committed to it.” He added “The main reason behind the delay in electing the new president is that some seek the election of an individual who is seeking civil war in Lebanon and making small the successes of Hezbollah.”
- First Deputy to the President Eshagh Jahangiri announced “Those who think that the negotiations have failed are mistaken.”
- He continued: “Some become happy when efforts fail, but they are wrong because this government and these powerful forces have the support of the Supreme Leader and the people.”
- National Security and Foreign Policy Parliamentary Commission member and former senior IRGC commander Brig. Gen. Mohammad Esmail Kowsari rejected Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif’s earlier statements that the Supreme Leader approves any government decision on the nuclear issue: “No; Mr. Zarif speaks for himself. Why does he involve the Supreme Leader? Everyone must talk for themselves. Why does he take advantage of the Supreme Leader?...Anyone who says this is deciding to take advantage of the Supreme Leader.” He added “We will respect the law, not the person the people decided.”
- Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh canceled a contract with the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation International for expanding the Southern Azadegan joint field. Iranian officials recently warned the Chinese contractor about its contract to expand the Northern Azadegan fields.
- Defense Minister Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehghan will travel to Moscow on May 23-24 to meet with Russian Army Commander Sergei Shoyguand attend the third Moscow International Security Conference.
- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei praised the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in a handwritten note after attending last week’s IRGC Air Force exhibition
By AEI Critical Threat
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