Tehran’s Daily Newspaper Review

20 November 2010 | 16:18 Code : 9343 Tehran’s Daily Newspaper Review

Tehran’s newspapers on Sunday, 23rd of Aban 1389; November 14th 2010.

From the mid-1980s to mid-1990s it was the Left vs. the Right in Iran. After Khatami’s election in 1997, it turned into Reformists vs. the Right. It was Reformists vs. Principlists since the 7^th Majles election in 2002. Ahmadinejad was thought to be a Principlist up until the middle of his first presidential term, when his maverick policies in culture and politics made it hard to label him as such any longer. The rise of the Critical Principlists—the mainstream branch of the Principlist camp whose icons were Mohammad-Bagher Qalibaf, the incumbent mayor of Tehran, Ali Larijani, speaker of parliament, and Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of the Council of the Nezam’s Expediency Discernment, all failed candidates in the 9^th presidential elections in 2005 and potential candidates in near future—began in those days. Jomhouri-e Eslami’s publishing two front page pieces on the accomplished projects of Tehran’s municipality –ruled by Qalibaf—one awkwardly and rather childishly titled “The Beautiful and Large Bridge of Javadieh Opens in South of Tehran”, is self-explanatory: Ghalibaf is most likely the Principlists’ key candidate for the next presidential election, and who knows, perhaps also the Reformists’.

Hamshahri

Tehran Mayor [Mohammad-Bagher Qalibaf] at the Opening Ceremony of the World’s First Three-Column Bridge: Javadieh (1) Bridge an effort to bridge the gap between [affluent] north and south of the city [of Tehran]

Majles Authorizes the Government: Support for establishment of large financial agencies

Iran

Iran’s Special Report on Self-Centered Behavior of Some Majles Representatives: Behind the scene of some ministers’ impeachment

Iran’s Interview with Tehran Province Governor [Morteza Tamaddon, on segmentation of Tehran gubernatorial disctrict]: Some people (2) are concerned with losing their power in Tehran

Following Iran’s Objection to Use of a Fabricated Title [A-r-a-b-i-a-n Gulf] Instead of Persian Gulf [in the Opening Ceremony of Guangzhou Asian Games]: China apologizes to Iran

Jomhouri-ye Eslami

The Beautiful and Large Bridge of Javadieh Opens in South Tehran

Speaker of the National Iranian Gas Company [Majeed Boujarzadeh] Announces: Exploitation of the 1.2 billion dollar gas plan of Iran-Turkemenistan

Majles’ Bill: Privatization-bound companies’ information disclosed

Kayhan

Kayhan’s Analytical Report: Enemy’s worry about Principlists’ unity; ruses and counter-ruses

Majles Approves: Privatization-bound companies’ information disclosed

The World’s First Three-Beam Bridge Inaugurated in Tehran

Khabar

In an Interview with Khabar: All-out support of [lawmaker Hojjat-ol-Eslam Morteza] Agha-Tehrani for Ahmadinejad

Private Sector’s Share of the Fifth [Development] Plan; Chairman of Iran’s Trade, Industry and Mining Chamber [Mohammad Nahavandian] Defended the Private Sector in Majles’ Session Yesterday

Resalat

US Secretary of State [Hillary] Clinton Confesses: Bin Laden and Taliban U.S. products

[Principlist Politician and Former MP] Habib-o-Llah

Mohsen Rezaei in an Interview with the Press: The government and nation contained the sanctions effectively

Middle East’s Most Beautiful Bridge Opens in Javadieh

Shargh

On Account of a TV Program: Ayatollah Kashani’s (3) son [Dr. Mahmoud Kashani] slams [Dr. Mohammad] Mossadeq

Shargh’s Analysis on Principlists’ Stipulations for Return of Mahdi Hashemi; A Dossier for Two [Mahdi Hashemi and his father, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]

Tehran-e Emrooz

Forty Percent of the Fifth Plan Amended; Report on Majles’ 41 Sessions

Inauguration of the Javideh Bridge: Celebration of [social] justice in south of the city

Iran’s Diplomacy vis-à-vis the Currency War

Vatan-e Emrooz

In a Phone Conversation: Ahmadinejad congratulates [Jalal] Talebani [for reelection]

2 Successive Heart Attacks for King Abdullah: Saudi King in bad health condition

Vatan-e Emrooz’ Report on U.S. Pressure on P5+1: Why was Istanbul replaced by Switzerland?

* Note: Khabar and Vatan-e Emrooz do not publish on Thursdays.

(1) Javadieh is a part of Tehran’s southern district, home to the working class of the capital’s population.

(2) Tamaddon is implicitly referring to Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf who has time and again protested against the government’s plan to segment the Tehran gubernatorial district, which he believes is a plan to divest him from his municipal powers.

(3) Ayatollah Kashani was the leader of the religious branch of the movement for nationalization of the Iranian oil companies in the 1950s. His gradual estrangement from Dr. Mohammad Mosaddeq, leader of the nationalist branch of the movement, is thought to have failed the movement and resulted in the 1958 CIA-led coup that returned Mohammad-Reza Pahlavi to power.

Trouble with understanding some terms? Check our Glossary of Iranian Political Terms.

Briefing

Hamshahri (Citizen) is the official daily newspaper of Tehran’s Municipality. Its general directions in politics, culture and economy are determined by the mayor of Tehran, currently Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

Iran is the official organ of the administration.

Jomhouri-ye Eslami (The Islamic Republic) was known as the official organ of the Party of the Islamic Republic, founded in 1979 and disbanded in 1987. Currently, it is an open critique of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s policies and is known to be a mouthpiece of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.

Kayhan (Universe) is a hard-line conservative newspaper. Its editor-in-chief –currently Hossein Shari’atmadari- is appointed by Iran’s Supreme Leader. Shari’atmadari’s editorials often spark off controversy and debate inside Iranian political circles.

Khabar (News) is a principlist daily newspaper which adopts a critical stance towards Ahmadinejad’s policies.

Resalat (Mission) belongs to the moderate wing of the principlist camp. Resalat’s best known analyst is Amir Mohebbian, its political editor.

Shargh (East) is a moderate reformist newspaper. It was the most popular and influential reformist newspaper in its first period of publication which lasted from August 2003 until September 2006.

Tehran-e Emrooz (Tehran Today) is a ‘principlist reformist’ newspaper, connected to Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

Vatan-e Emrooz (Motherland Today) -which started its publication in November 2008-, belongs to Mehrdad Bazrpash, the thirty-old pro-Ahmadinejad politician who is also head of Iran’s second largest auto manufacturer company, Saipa. Vatan-e Emrooz is a supporter of the president’s policies.