Tehran Ready for Anti-Terror Operations

The newspaper Bahar published a photo of the special police unit deployed in the streets of Tehran, reporting under the headline "Tehran Ready for Anti-Terror Operations" that the capital is now prepared with the presence of security forces and special units to serve both as a training exercise for sensitive situations and to increase the city's security level. Some citizens, however, have told the newspaper that officers "come out with weapons during election times." The newspaper Arman also published explanations from the Minister of Interior and the commander of the Greater Tehran Police regarding the deployment of officers in the streets, stations, and subway cars, stating: "On Saturday, Tehran citizens witnessed the presence of police officers in the streets of the capital, raising the question of what has happened that the presence of law enforcement has increased, a question that lingered until Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Minister of Interior, announced that the drill in Tehran was to assess and enhance our forces' readiness to confront any incidents in sensitive conditions." The newspaper Shargh, while publishing a report on the harsh remarks of Mahmoud Nabavian, a representative close to the Stability Front against the government, wrote: "Members of the Stability Front, who seem to be certain about the failure of many of their candidates in the 10th parliamentary elections, have now resorted to tactics of discrediting others, even before the registration period for candidates has begun." This newspaper described parts of Nabavian's speech at an event hosted by "Hezbollah and Ansar Hezbollah in Shahrud" as an "attack on the government, the foreign minister, the speaker of parliament, and the head of the Velayat Faction" and noted that this speaker accused the press using the term 'infiltration.' Shargh also revisited statements made by Babak Zanjani during the fourteenth session of his trial regarding "gold smuggling," stating: "The holding of the oil corruption trial has caused some rumors that had been circulating about Babak Zanjani in recent years to take on a semblance of reality, while some narratives that appeared to be true have been fundamentally denied. One of these stories is the connection between Zanjani and Reza Zarrab," adding that "it is now impossible to separate Zanjani and Zarrab. Iranian officials have repeatedly stated that they cannot locate Zanjani's assets abroad, and now the connection between Zanjani and Zarrab also seems real. Therefore, it is highly likely that Zarrab holds the key to part of the missing funds in this case." The newspaper also described the statements of Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister, regarding Saudi-Iran relations in an interview with the Austrian newspaper Standard as "the first positive pulse from Saudi Arabia to Iran." According to this newspaper, the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, in response to the question of whether "you see a chance for constructive dialogue between Iran and Saudi Arabia?" said: "We are ready. We seek good relations and have conveyed this to the Iranians. The problem is their actions," but "they are the ones who interfere in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Bahrain, and Yemen. They are the ones who attempt to smuggle weapons and explosives into Bahrain and Saudi Arabia." Shargh emphasized that "Saudi Arabia has been militarily intervening in Yemen for over 9 months and has provided no explanation for its actions." The newspaper Qanoon published a letter from Sadegh Zibakalam addressed to the commander of the Basij, in which this university professor rejected the remarks of Mohammad Reza Naqdi during Friday prayers in Tehran against journalists and other recent detainees, stating: "How is it that you, who do not hold a judicial position, have been able to so precisely and completely delve into the details of the case and speak freely about its contents during Friday prayers? Are you not obligated to observe the law like the seventy million others who reside in this country?" The newspaper Shahrevand, alongside a photo of itself with the headline "Forced to Drop Out on Remote Roads," reported on "the widespread dropout of girls and illiteracy among women in the villages of Khuzestan." The newspaper Resalat dedicated its front page and photo to Mehdi Taeb, the brother of the head of the IRGC Intelligence Organization, quoting him as saying: "Trust in the proof of God is the solution to countering infiltration." The newspaper Jahan San'at, in a report titled "Extravagance with Empty Pockets," wrote: "Criticism of the government's provision of facilities to automakers in the economic stimulus package has intensified as we approach the delivery dates for vehicles to applicants." Mohammad Gholi Youssefi, a faculty member at Allameh Tabatabai University, among the critics of this plan, told Jahan San'at: "The government has engaged in a kind of aimless extravagance to support industries in the economic stimulus package," but "instead of injecting money as loans, it could have achieved better results through other means such as providing energy subsidies or giving resources to automakers themselves." The newspaper Jahan San'at also quoted Rahmatollah Pourmousavi, the secretary-general of the Islamic Labor Councils Association, as saying: "In no part of the world are more than 20% of workers contractual," but "94% of workers in Iran are employed on a contractual basis." The newspaper Iran, close to the government, dedicated its front page to Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, the Minister of Oil, at the ceremony "unveiling Iran's oil contracts," stating that this event was held "with the presence of 137 international companies." The newspaper Iran also dedicated its front page to the "assault on ISIS strongholds from land and sea," reporting that "the Russian government has informed Iraq of its intention to conduct a crushing operation against ISIS in Syria and has asked Baghdad to halt the activities of the Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports to prevent any incidents," and even "the Russian news agency Itar-Tass reported that Moscow will soon launch a large-scale military operation titled 'Destruction of the Comprehensive' with the participation of 69 Sukhoi fighters and Tu-160 bombers and its submarines and ships in the Mediterranean Sea." The newspaper Javan, close to the IRGC, published "Ghalibaf's letter to citizens" on its front page, describing this letter from the mayor of Tehran as "a revolt against social harms." This newspaper wrote: "The social harms of the Harandi neighborhood of the capital are a mirror of defenseless urban spaces. It seems that Tehran has also become a defenseless city; defenseless against social harms that are more devastating than a destructive civil war. Now the mayor, in a letter to the people, has invited them to take action. The people must rise to save the city; save it from visible addicts, from street men and women, from homelessness, and from professional beggars. In this context, the municipality's involvement in the issue is an opportunity for other organizations to think about proactive action and non-passive movement in the realm of social harms, rather than blaming each other and shifting responsibility onto one another." A field report on the presence of officers in the streets and subway cars of Tehran was published by the newspaper Bahar, which included a photo of the special police unit deployed in the streets of Tehran, reporting under the headline "Tehran Ready for Anti-Terror Operations" that the capital is now prepared with the presence of security forces and special units to serve both as a training exercise for sensitive situations and to increase the city's security level. However, some citizens have told the newspaper that officers "come out with weapons during election times." Amir Abbas Kalleh, a reporter for Bahar, wrote: "They are stationed equipped at the entrances of subway stations, wearing weapons and bulletproof vests. They inspect suspicious individuals, but respectfully and calmly. The subway is operating as usual. People come and go, but the presence of these forces in passenger trains and subway stations surprises citizens." The newspaper emphasized that these days "Tehran is a city full of rumors," stating that this metropolis is "filled with rumors and speculation due to the expansion of social networks; one day a hostage-taking rumor arises, and the next day a bombing rumor." Now, "Tehran is not only prepared on the surface to confront threats and terrorist actions but is also fully prepared underground. Security underground has reached its highest level." Bahar noted the spread of a "bombing rumor" in Tehran, stating: "On November 13, a rumor circulated on social networks, including the Telegram messaging app, claiming that a bombing had occurred at Imam Khomeini station." While initially "no official comments or news regarding this matter were published in official news agencies," eventually on November 28, Mohsen Khanchalari, the head of the capital's preventive police, explained that a suspect "fled towards the subway tunnel shouting: bomb, bomb. After this incident, officers quickly acted and arrived at the subway tunnel 200 meters from the station, discovering a carton labeled 'cholesterol-free oil' and promptly the capital's bomb disposal and neutralization teams were present at the scene." The newspaper emphasized that "this incident was enough to create panic and fear in that crowded and populated station and disrupt the movement of trains and bring forth photos and rumors from social networks." Now, "for several days, the police and special forces have been stationed at the entrances of subway stations to prevent any incidents like bombings and to create panic among the people, especially after ISIS threatened Iran with terrorist actions. In this context, efforts are being made to establish security underground as well. An effort for the peace and security of the people and the country underground with the presence of special forces." According to the newspaper Bahar, Hossein Sajedi-Nia, the commander of the Greater Tehran Police, emphasized that "in this operational drill, special forces, rescue units, unit 110, male and female undercover forces, bomb disposal and neutralization teams, and others are present," stating: "These anti-terrorism actions and drills will continue as long as necessary, but this does not mean that something has happened in the capital; rather, Tehran is in complete security." The Bahar reporter wrote in a field report from the "subway line from Azadi Square to Imam Hossein" that "at Azadi station, two members of the special forces are present, observing the people with keen eyes and guiding suspicious individuals to the side of the subway hall; they request identification cards and ask to inspect bags. All these steps are done with complete respect. After the inspection is complete, they apologize to anyone they interrogated for the delay." According to this newspaper, "inside the subway cars, people are asking each other what the situation is," and even "an elderly man says it has always been like this; when elections approach, they come out with weapons." However, one of the stationed officers at the Tohid station, in response to the Bahar reporter's question about "what has happened that their presence in the subway is noticeable," simply said in one sentence: "So that your commute does not face any problems, for your safety." Amir Abbas Kalleh, a Bahar reporter, described the atmosphere of Tehran's subway, stating: "At the Enghelab station, several special forces members armed with weapons enter the subway car. For them, the situation is normal, but citizens are surprised by their presence in the subway car. As soon as they enter, an unusual silence envelops the subway car. However, with the laughter and conversations of the special forces officers, the silence is broken. They are discussing one of their friends, but at the same time, they are also discreetly watching the people, and importantly, no one feels the weight of their gaze. In the meantime, a middle-aged woman asks them if something has happened, and they respond with smiles that it is nothing. They get off at the Vali Asr intersection station, and I follow them. They head towards the subway exit. As we exit the underground, several special forces motorcyclists and a police van are stationed at the Vali Asr intersection." The reporter of Bahar, referring to the repeated entry and exit of officers at the stations and subway cars, quoted one of the officials at the Enghelab subway station as saying that the officers "came to the subway due to the threat of ISIS. They have come to ensure security," adding that "it is also election time; they ultimately want to ensure security." The newspaper Arman also published explanations from the Minister of Interior and the commander of the Greater Tehran Police regarding the deployment of officers in the streets, stations, and subway cars of Tehran, stating: "On Saturday, Tehran citizens witnessed the presence of police officers in the streets of the capital, raising the question of what has happened that the presence of law enforcement has increased, a question that lingered until Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Minister of Interior, announced that the drill in Tehran was to assess and enhance our forces' readiness to confront any incidents in sensitive conditions." The newspaper noted that "following the terrorist attacks in Paris, rumors about an ISIS attack on Iran have intensified, and just a few days ago, rumors of bombings at two points in Tehran circulated, leading to police involvement and a few days later, news of the arrest of rumor-mongers was published. Meanwhile, the recent arrests have not only been related to rumor-mongers, as senior military and law enforcement officials have indicated that in the past week, activities have been conducted to monitor ISIS movements in Iran, and as Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the IRGC, stated, ISIS networks in Iran have been identified."