The Week in Iran
Iran’s political developments in the last week, November 13th to November 19th.
On Saturday, South Tehran witnessed a high-profile inauguration ceremony for the world’s reportedly first three-columned bridge. Tehran’s mayor Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, an aspiring presidential candidate, underscored that construction of the bridge in the poorer part of the city is an effort to bridge the gap between the south and north of Iran’s capital. Qalibaf called the Javadieh Bridge a symbol of creativity, belief in experience, rationalism, adherence to the law and jihadi morals -jihad here of course implies enduring hardships in the path of God, not al Qaeda-style suicide bombing. The project was a refreshing boost for anti-Ahmadinejad principlists who are seeking a figure to stand against Ahmadinejad’s team in the next presidential election.
Another act in the struggle between Ahmadinejad and Principlists was performed last week on Sunday: Majles decided to dislodge the president from his chairmanship of the Central Bank’s board of directors and revise the composition of the board. The decision, made during the discussion of the Fifth Development Plan, infuriated pro-administration media who called it a breach of the Central Bank’s independence. Mohammad-Ali Bahmani, head of the bank, threatened to resign if the independence of his office was undermined.
The feud over the name of the body of water off the south coast of Iran stretched into the opening ceremony of 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, where the Chinese used the name A-r-a-b-i-an Gulf instead of Persian Gulf. While Iranian officials present at the ceremony say that the Chinese PM has apologized for the mistake, some Iranian media doubt their claim. In the Iranian cyberspace, where such debates are usually followed more heatedly, some even demanded Iran’s withdrawal from the games. However, with Arab states growing wealthier, more assertive, and more Iran-wary on a daily basis, an end to this dispute in the near future seems unlikely, and Iran’s Arab ‘brothers’ will continue to undermine the historical name of Persian Gulf, hoping to replace it with a label that best symbolizes their inferiority/superiority complex vis-a-vis the Iranians.
Iran flexed its muscles for the world last week with its largest ever air defense maneuver called “Guardians of the Firmament of Velayat III”. The five-day maneuver, which started on Tuesday, was a showcase of Iran’s new defense capabilities, including radar systems with long-range coverage and long-range anti-air missiles. The commanding and control centers also exercised electronic warfare in a part of the drill to prepare for any potential attacks.
Another act in the struggle between Ahmadinejad and Principlists was performed last week on Sunday: Majles decided to dislodge the president from his chairmanship of the Central Bank’s board of directors and revise the composition of the board. The decision, made during the discussion of the Fifth Development Plan, infuriated pro-administration media who called it a breach of the Central Bank’s independence. Mohammad-Ali Bahmani, head of the bank, threatened to resign if the independence of his office was undermined.
The feud over the name of the body of water off the south coast of Iran stretched into the opening ceremony of 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, where the Chinese used the name A-r-a-b-i-an Gulf instead of Persian Gulf. While Iranian officials present at the ceremony say that the Chinese PM has apologized for the mistake, some Iranian media doubt their claim. In the Iranian cyberspace, where such debates are usually followed more heatedly, some even demanded Iran’s withdrawal from the games. However, with Arab states growing wealthier, more assertive, and more Iran-wary on a daily basis, an end to this dispute in the near future seems unlikely, and Iran’s Arab ‘brothers’ will continue to undermine the historical name of Persian Gulf, hoping to replace it with a label that best symbolizes their inferiority/superiority complex vis-a-vis the Iranians.
Iran flexed its muscles for the world last week with its largest ever air defense maneuver called “Guardians of the Firmament of Velayat III”. The five-day maneuver, which started on Tuesday, was a showcase of Iran’s new defense capabilities, including radar systems with long-range coverage and long-range anti-air missiles. The commanding and control centers also exercised electronic warfare in a part of the drill to prepare for any potential attacks.