Reactions to Obama's Remarks in Iranian Newspapers

The statements of Barack Obama, the President of the United States, in an interview with National Public Radio regarding the possibility of establishing relations with Iran and reopening the U.S. embassy in Tehran have received widespread coverage in Iranian newspapers on Tuesday. The newspapers Shargh, Te'dad, Ebtekar, and Arman dedicated their front pages to Barack Obama and the publication of his interview. The Shargh newspaper highlighted Obama's comments about the potential reopening of the U.S. embassy in Iran, stating, "I never say never" and "we think these matters should be done step by step." The Arman newspaper also referenced Obama's hope for reopening the U.S. embassy in Iran, describing his recent remarks as a "clear change in tone regarding Iran." The Farhikhtegan newspaper characterized Obama's comments as an acknowledgment of Iran's "great success." The Mardomsalari newspaper quoted Obama stating, "Iran's defense concerns are legitimate," while other newspapers, including Siyasat-e Rooz, reported that Obama described Iran's defense concerns as "legitimate." Siyasat-e Rooz quoted several conservative figures regarding Obama's remarks, stating, "Iran is a regional power even without a nuclear agreement." Other newspapers such as Aftab-e Yazd, Etemad, Javan, Afkar, Etemad, Iran, Khorasan also printed Obama's recent comments on their front pages. However, the Kayhan and Resalat newspapers did not mention Obama's remarks about Iran, instead emphasizing that "the U.S. Senate is pursuing new and un-vetoable sanctions against Iran." The Resalat, Quds, Kayhan, Khorasan, and Javan newspapers dedicated their front pages to attacking candidates and protesters from the 2009 elections. Amber Mohabian commented on the continued house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi, Mehdi Karroubi, and Zahra Rahnavard, stating that this situation arises from the "pragmatism of the system," but some believe "we should bring them out and execute them." The reception of "Obama's change in tone regarding Iran" was noted by the Arman newspaper, which stated that Obama's change in tone is based on the interests he envisions for himself, his country, and his party in relation to Iran. The newspaper reviewed how relations between Iran and the U.S. were severed after the occupation of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, stating, "The doctrine of the Islamic Republic's foreign policy has been based on a principled and strategic position; relations with all governments of the world except the illegitimate Zionist regime [Israel], with the condition of avoiding one-sided policies, mutual respect, and avoiding a biased and superior view of global powers towards Iran." The Arman newspaper noted that "Hassan Rouhani, during his last trip to New York, emphasized that resolving the nuclear issue could be a starting point for regional and international cooperation," and wrote: "Now the President of the United States also emphasizes that if Iran agrees to a long-term nuclear agreement, it could become a very successful regional power." The Shargh newspaper also dedicated its front page to the U.S. President, emphasizing that "Barack Obama stated about the possibility of reopening the U.S. embassy in Iran, 'I never say never' and 'we think these matters should be done step by step.'" The newspaper noted that one of Obama's most important statements in the interview was that "Iran can become a successful regional power." According to the Shargh newspaper, Obama stated regarding negotiations and the possibility of reaching a comprehensive nuclear agreement that "Iran must seize the opportunity to reach a final agreement that could lift sanctions against this country," saying, "If they (Iran) appreciate this opportunity, there are talents and resources within Iran that could make this country a very successful regional power that adheres to international norms and laws, which would be good for the people of this country, the region, and the U.S." The newspaper also noted that the U.S. President emphasized that "first, the nuclear issue must be resolved; then, relations can be resumed," stating, "If we can take this big first step, then my hope is that this issue can form the basis of our efforts to improve relations (with Iran) over time." The Shargh newspaper reminded that "Iranian officials have always emphasized that the current negotiations focus solely on the nuclear issue," and even last week, Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the Islamic Republic, stated in an interview that "even if the nuclear agreement reduces tensions between the two sides, Tehran will not seek to resume diplomatic relations with Washington." The Farhikhtegan newspaper characterized Obama's remarks as an acknowledgment of Iran's "great success," stating that "in a different news item published simultaneously, Barack Obama, the President of the United States, stated about the possibility of reopening the U.S. embassy in Tehran that various steps must be taken before improving relations between the two countries, with resolving the nuclear issue being the most important step." The Te'dad newspaper also dedicated its front page to Barack Obama, quoting him as saying, "Iran can become a successful regional power." The newspaper noted that "the announcement of negotiations between the U.S. and Cuba to establish diplomatic relations caused a media storm," stating that the U.S.-Cuba negotiations "ended about 55 years of conflict that benefited neither side," and now some analysts say that "Obama is determined to achieve the best score for his greatest achievement, which is reconciling with the astute leaders of Iran." The conservative-leaning newspapers interpreted Obama's remarks as a consequence of power, not a government achievement. The Javan newspaper, close to the Revolutionary Guards, also published the text of Obama's recent remarks under the headline "Iran is not Cuba," stating that "American senators are busy drafting a new sanctions bill against Iran that even if the U.S. President wishes, he will not be able to veto it, but Barack Obama has promised that if Iran is willing to agree to a long-term nuclear deal, it can become a very successful regional power." The newspaper also quoted Obama stating that "Cuba is a small country that poses no major threat to the United States, while Iran is large, supports terrorism, and seeks nuclear capabilities." The Siyasat-e Rooz newspaper also published assessments from several conservative figures regarding Obama's recent remarks, stating that "the U.S. President recently mentioned in an interview with National Public Radio that Iran has the potential to become a regional power, while experts believe that this language from Obama is merely an acknowledgment of the power of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as otherwise, the Americans would have no choice but to negotiate with the Iranian nation." Saadollah Zare'i, a former member of the political bureau of the Revolutionary Guards and a foreign policy expert, commented on Obama's remarks in the Siyasat-e Rooz newspaper, stating that "Obama's statement that if Iran agrees to a long-term nuclear deal, it can become a very successful regional power is not a significant statement, as currently, if the U.S. is sitting at the negotiating table with Iran, it is due to the regional power of the Islamic Republic; otherwise, if Iran had any weakness in the region and international arena, the American officials would certainly beat the drums of war with Iran, and this interview and Obama's language with National Public Radio is, in fact, an acknowledgment that only through dialogue with Iran can they reach a conclusion." The Siyasat-e Rooz newspaper also quoted Saadollah Zare'i stating that "the Islamic Republic of Iran is currently not only a power but also a regional superpower and beyond that, a global superpower." He implicitly stated that the U.S. President's remarks should not be considered an achievement of the current nuclear negotiating team and emphasized that "if the negotiating team is to be satisfied with this language and compliments that, for example, Obama has mentioned, it is nothing more than self-deception." Saadollah Zare'i told the Siyasat-e Rooz newspaper that "the negotiation table and the continuation of talks is not a new choice in this current government that the members of the negotiating team should consider negotiating with the U.S. within the framework of nuclear talks as a significant achievement, as previously they have negotiated with the U.S. within the framework of nuclear programs, all of which have remained fruitless due to American anti-Iranian scenarios." The Siyasat-e Rooz newspaper also quoted Mohammad Sadegh Kouchaki, who was introduced as a foreign policy expert, stating that "the Islamic Republic of Iran is in the process of becoming a regional power, but it does not consider this ceiling sufficient for its expansion; rather, becoming a regional power is a prelude for Iran to step into becoming an international power." Mohammad Sadegh Kouchaki also stated that "this language from Obama is, in fact, a type of acknowledgment of the power of the Islamic Republic of Iran, while the U.S. has set the maximum ceiling for Iran to become a regional power, which is the point of difference between Iran and the prevailing view in the U.S." The spokesperson for the Guardian Council: The presumption of innocence does not apply in the review of candidates' qualifications. The Etemad newspaper reported on "warnings and assurances from the Guardian Council," stating that the spokesperson of the Guardian Council explicitly rejected the "presumption of innocence" mentioned in Article 37 of the Constitution in the process of reviewing candidates for elections, saying that "it is not intended to be used." According to this newspaper, Najatollah Ebrahimian, the spokesperson of the Guardian Council, regarding the extent to which the Guardian Council pays attention to the "presumption of innocence," stated: "In principle, the presumption of innocence does not apply in such a review process and is ineffective. The legal and jurisprudential discussion regarding the position of the presumption of innocence should be left to a jurisprudential and academic forum, and official authorities should not delve too much into this issue; I can only briefly mention that the media can also address this issue, but in any case, the presumption of innocence is not effective here [in the review of candidates' qualifications by the Guardian Council]." The spokesperson of the Guardian Council regarding the method of reviewing the qualifications of candidates who have been convicted by the judiciary and have served their sentences stated: "The work of the Guardian Council in reviewing qualifications is to ascertain qualifications. That is, an individual who volunteers for elections must have their qualifications reviewed, and if each member of the Guardian Council concludes that they are qualified, it means they meet the election conditions for any of the presidential or parliamentary elections." Najatollah Ebrahimian also stated: "The election law says you must have belief and commitment to Islam and the Constitution; we can never, according to the laws of the Islamic Republic of Iran, prosecute someone for not believing in Islam or not believing in the Constitution. They are free in their beliefs; therefore, they will never be subject to a judicial ruling, but since this condition exists, who will judge this matter? There is no choice but to rely on the first and last judge, which is the Guardian Council," and it is the Guardian Council that "must ascertain their belief in Islam and the Constitution, and we cannot wait for a court ruling" and "we can say that someone who is not committed to the Constitution enjoys all the rights that the Constitution provides for individuals, but they cannot represent a nation whose core and foundational document is the Constitution in the Islamic Consultative Assembly; therefore, ascertaining some of these conditions is fundamentally not possible through judicial means." According to the Etemad newspaper, the spokesperson of the Guardian Council, referring to "Article 30 of the Election Law, which states that the following individuals are prohibited from running for the Islamic Consultative Assembly," mentioned that this law does not specify whether those convicted of actions against the Islamic Republic of Iran have repented or not, and the law "only states that anyone who has a previous conviction for actions against the regime, even if that conviction has been served, is barred from candidacy." The Etemad newspaper emphasized that with the statements made on Tuesday by Najatollah Ebrahimian, "the complex and ambiguous conditions facing candidates who have served their criminal sentences" have been highlighted, stating: "Of course, the spokesperson of the Guardian Council also pointed out some positive points" and among other things stated: "The presence of candidates in some electoral headquarters in the past is not a criterion for disqualification." This newspaper noted that such a recommendation indicates that the spokesperson of the Guardian Council "is not particularly pleased that their institution has become a tool for intimidation" and for this reason, "they say that groups should not use the Guardian Council to intimidate each other." According to the Etemad newspaper, the issue of reviewing political conduct by the Guardian Council in the review of candidates' qualifications has also come up recently, and this time the spokesperson of the qualification review body states that they have no choice but to review the political behaviors of individuals.