Conflicting Reports About Taliban's Visit to Iran

The newspaper Shargh reported on Wednesday that the government spokesperson, in response to the newspaper's question about the timing of the government's report on the events at Ward 350 of Evin Prison, said: "Is this question in the basket of people's questions or not?!" The newspapers Vatan-e-Emruz and Shahrvand have highlighted the simultaneous and differing statements of the government spokesperson and the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare regarding the "removal of some subsidy recipients." The newspaper Qanoon, in a report examining the "claim of Taliban officials' presence in Iran," quoted Mohammad Hassan Asfari, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, as saying: "I am not aware of this trip, but this has happened in the past without security news." Mohammad Ismail Qasemi-Yar, a member of the International Relations Committee of the High Peace Council of Afghanistan, confirmed in an interview with Shargh that a delegation from the Taliban traveled to Tehran, stating: "A group of seven to eight members from the Taliban's political office residing in Doha, Qatar, have traveled to Tehran and held meetings." Shargh also noted the government spokesperson's lack of knowledge on this matter, writing that on Tuesday, the government spokesperson said: "I cannot confirm this; it does not make sense to me either." The newspaper Jahan San'at published a report on the "ongoing environmental destruction due to dam construction," stating that despite the negative effects of dam construction in Iran becoming apparent, dam builders are still at work, with "647 dams currently operational, 147 dams under construction, and 537 dams in the study phase." The newspaper Etemad, in its front-page headline on Wednesday, assessed the parliament representatives' satisfaction with the explanations of Abbas Akhundi, the Minister of Roads and Urban Development, and Ali Rabiei, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, as "not the parliament's circle of stability." Mahshid Sotoudeh, in a report for Etemad, pointed out the role of representatives close to the Stability Front, such as Hamid Rasai and Hossein Tala, in questioning Abbas Akhundi and Ali Rabiei, writing: "This time, favorable winds did not blow for the 'No Circle' in parliament. The atmosphere in parliament is not like it was at least six months ago when the 'No Circle' had power. Those who said no to proposed ministers and managed the impeachment no longer have the energy of the past. On Tuesday, parliament said no to the Stability Front. Now it seems that the principlists close to Larijani are starting to rise. No matter how much the questioners close to the Stability Front showed painful films to stir the emotions of the representatives, or how many charts they presented, it still did not help." The newspaper Arman published a front-page report about the potential role or entry of Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri in the ninth parliamentary elections, stating: "Nategh's key will unlock the election." Hassan Rouhani's remarks on the thirty-third anniversary of the establishment of Azad University received significant attention in the newspapers, with most reporting him as saying: "A university without freedom is dead." Newspapers such as Iran, Shargh, Arman, Aftab Yazd, Ebtekar, Etemad, Farhikhtegan, Tejarat, and Jomhouri Eslami featured Rouhani's remarks as one of their main headlines on Wednesday. Simultaneously, the newspaper Javan, close to the Revolutionary Guards, headlined "Scientific Warning to the President," reporting on a warning letter about "scientific decline" signed by "4182 university professors." This newspaper also quoted Mostafa Pourmohammadi, the Minister of Justice, stating: "Statistics show that between 34 to 55 trillion tomans of smuggling of goods and currency has occurred in Iran, which is a significant number, and unfortunately, a large part of these goods entered through official channels." The newspaper Hemayat, affiliated with the prison organization of the judiciary, dedicated its front page to the meeting between Ali Akbar Velayati and Bashar al-Assad, quoting Assad as saying: "The victory of the resistance against the terrorists would not have been possible without Iran's support." The government spokesperson's response to Shargh's question about Ward 350 of Evin: "Is this question in the basket of people's questions?!" The newspaper Shargh reported that Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, in response to the newspaper's question about the timing of the government's report on the events at Ward 350 of Evin Prison, said: "Is this question in the basket of people's questions or not?!" According to this newspaper, during the media session, the question from Shargh to Mohammad Nobakht was based on the news from the Judicial Commission of Parliament and the statements made a year ago by the government spokesperson that "after the events at Ward 350 of Evin Prison in 2014, a proposal for investigation into the prisons organization was raised by some parliament members, until recently, some members have said they see no need for this proposal, while others insist on pursuing it. Now, given that the fate of this investigation is unclear, does the government intend to publish its report on the events at Ward 350 of Evin or not?" Shargh noted that the government spokesperson responded to this question by saying: "This issue was raised in the cabinet, and the President also instructed two ministers (of Intelligence and Justice) to follow up on this issue, and the relevant report was submitted to the President, and accordingly, actions were taken." Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, in response to Shargh's question that "according to your statements, this report was supposed to be published," emphasized that "if necessary, we will present that report," saying: "Is this question in the basket of people's questions or not?!" The newspaper Shargh recalled that a year ago, following the clash between prison guards and inmates at Ward 350 of Evin in April 2014, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht had stated in a press conference on May 14, 2014, that "the Ministry of Intelligence and the Ministry of Justice are supposed to prepare a report on the events at Evin Prison. We are waiting to receive this report, and after receiving and summarizing it, we will inform the public." The newspaper also reported that on Tuesday, the government spokesperson, in his media session with reporters at the Kowsar building of the presidency, faced a "wide and extensive" range of questions from journalists, from "the events at Yadegar Imam Stadium in Tabriz" to "the President's action regarding the media ban on the reformist President." According to this newspaper, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, in response to a question about "the approximate coincidence of the President's trip to East Azerbaijan and the events of the football match between Tractor Sazi Tabriz and Naft Tehran and the social conditions of this city," said: "This trip is being conducted like other provincial trips, and programs are underway for the development of this province," and "this trip will also be conducted with a full agenda, and the President will meet with the people of Tabriz. Based on what we know, the reception for the President will also be enthusiastic and popular." The government spokesperson stated that "the events that occurred in the football match have nothing to do with the government," saying: "Based on the duty that the President determined, he ordered immediate attention to this issue." Mohammad Baqer Nobakht also stated that regarding "the interruption of mobile phones and the internet during those circumstances by security agencies, do you confirm this or not," he said: "I do not confirm such a thing, but we can definitely gather more information. Of course, the football match and its result have nothing to do with the internet, but certainly, the issue of Tabriz and the football match will be followed up and addressed." According to the newspaper Shargh, the government spokesperson also responded to a question about "the President's letter to the head of the judiciary regarding lifting the media ban on Mohammad Khatami, the reformist President," saying: "I will ask the President about this letter and will announce later," but "as far as I know, the President has ordered attention to this issue, but whether a letter has been written to the judiciary in this regard, I am unaware, but the President has ordered follow-up on this issue." Mohammad Baqer Nobakht also described the statements of Hesam al-Din Ashna, an advisor to Hassan Rouhani, regarding the possibility of changing some ministers and governors as "the personal opinion and interpretation" of one of the advisors, stating: "The issue of changes is fundamentally baseless, and the media should not exacerbate it. The government has no plans to change ministers and governors, and if in the future changes are made according to the situation, that is another discussion." According to the newspaper Shargh, the government spokesperson also addressed the attribution of the change of the governor of Jahrom to his closeness and support for Ali Motahari, saying: "It is not in the government's plan for a governor to decide to change a mayor." The removal of several million subsidy recipients; denial by the spokesperson, confirmation by the minister The newspapers Vatan-e-Emruz and Shahrvand have highlighted the simultaneous and differing statements of the government spokesperson and the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare regarding the "removal of some subsidy recipients." The newspaper Vatan-e-Emruz, close to the Stability Front, emphasized in its front page that "the government has denied itself," stating: "The government information base reported on Tuesday afternoon, quoting Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, that 4 million subsidy recipients have been removed since the beginning of this year, and this news became the main focus of many media reports on subsidies, but surprisingly, on Wednesday, the government spokesperson denied his statements published by the government information base." According to this newspaper, the government spokesperson on Wednesday, regarding the removal of 4 million subsidy recipients, emphasized that "this news is not true, and such an event has not actually occurred," saying: "Last year, 2 million and 400 thousand people voluntarily withdrew and helped us implement the health transformation plan. Some also consider receiving this amount as their legitimate right, which should be addressed with reason and prudence." Vatan-e-Emruz noted that Mohammad Baqer Nobakht also referred to "the media's attempts to create narratives after the removal of some subsidy recipients," stating: "These media are now constantly seeking to remove subsidy recipients, and after this is done, God forbid, if someone is removed non-expertly, they will have their next subject: why were these individuals removed?" This newspaper simultaneously wrote: "It is unclear what the meaning of the government's confirmations and denials about cash subsidies is; the officials do not realize that transparent and accurate information is far more effective than these concealments," and "the spokesperson's denial occurred while the government information base should be the most reliable media for the officials, and the events behind this matter are still unclear." Vatan-e-Emruz, whose owner, Mehrdad Bazrpash, is a representative close to the Stability Front and a critic of the government, wrote: Mohammad Baqer Nobakht has adopted the policy of "confirming and denying subsidies" and "scattered publication" of news in this area since the beginning of this year and "generally takes a defensive stance against media that intend to publish information about cash subsidies." This newspaper wrote: Now, the government spokesperson has denied the news of "removing four million subsidy recipients" while the "Welfare Minister," as the responsible party for removing cash subsidies, confirmed it and even previously announced in Qom that "individuals will be quietly removed." Simultaneously, the newspaper Shahrvand, while publishing a report about "new details from the government regarding the change in cash subsidy policy and the denial of the removal of 4 million people," quoted the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare as saying that with the removal of high-income subsidy recipients, "the subsidies for low-income individuals will increase." This newspaper referred to two consecutive denials by the government spokesperson, stating: "Mohammad Baqer Nobakht announced two days ago that by today, 3 million people should have been removed from the list of subsidy recipients, which has not been realized," and "another news quoted from the government spokesperson was the removal of 4 million subsidy recipients, which was fundamentally denied on Wednesday by Mohammad Baqer Nobakht's office." The newspaper Shahrvand wrote: "Interestingly, at the same time as the denial of the removal of 4 million Iranians' subsidies, Ali Rabiei [the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare] emphasized that the number of individuals whose subsidies will be removed has reached 6 million," but simultaneously "promised the lower-class residents and low-income deciles that they should not worry at all because not only will their subsidies not be cut, but they will also increase, and their food basket will be strengthened." This newspaper described the government's invitation in 2014 for voluntary withdrawal from receiving cash subsidies as "the big exam," stating: "Last year, when the government held a big exam for registering applicants for cash subsidies, it seems that soon a screening will begin to determine the eligible individuals and remove groups of beneficiaries, but after several months, it became clear that at least these removals and adjustments will not be conducted transparently and clearly." The newspaper Shahrvand, regarding the differing statements and repeated confirmations and denials by senior government officials about the "removal" of some cash subsidy recipients, wrote: "These repeated denials mean that it is still unclear what the fate of the project to reduce the number of subsidy recipients will be." The visit of a Taliban political delegation to Tehran; official denial, unofficial confirmation The newspaper Qanoon, in a report examining the "claim of the presence of Taliban officials in Iran," quoted Mohammad Hassan Asfari, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, as saying: "I am not aware of this trip, but this has happened in the past without security news." This newspaper referred to the "Taliban" as a "militant and terrorist group" that has "been killing innocent people in Afghanistan for years," and wrote: "Now, according to a claim by one of the principlist news agencies, a team from this terrorist group has come to Iran to meet with Iranian officials." According to the newspaper Qanoon, "The news is that the Taliban political delegation led by Tayyeb Agha" and "consisting of...