The First European Oil Tankers Arrive in Iran

The support of the Society of Combatant Clergy of Tehran for Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in the Assembly of Experts elections has drawn attention from some reformist-leaning newspapers on Tuesday, while most conservative newspapers have shown little interest. The Arman newspaper welcomed the inclusion of Rafsanjani's name in the list of candidates for the Assembly of Experts by the Society of Combatant Clergy by printing a photo of him on its front page. The Rouzan and Etemad newspapers assessed the letter of support from Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani, the Secretary-General of the Society of Combatant Clergy, to Rafsanjani as a sign of the "separation of the two communities" from each other. Etemad noted that the Society of Combatant Clergy's coalition with the Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary to present a unified electoral list for the Islamic Consultative Assembly did not include Rafsanjani's name, but "the Society of Combatant Clergy, which had previously promised to support the list of the Society of Teachers, could not draw a red line on Rafsanjani's name." The Jahan Sanat newspaper interpreted the Society of Combatant Clergy's joining the supporters of Rafsanjani as a sign of his "ambition" for the "presidency of the Assembly of Experts," while the Kayhan newspaper warned on its front page about the "electoral ambitions of the elite." Kayhan simultaneously attacked Rafsanjani and the Executives of Construction Party, stating that in the 1990s, "with the rise of Rafsanjani's government and the formation of the Executives, an economic adjustment plan was implemented that led to unprecedented inflation of 50 percent." This newspaper also referred to the Executives of Construction as a "symbol of the connection between power and wealth" and wrote: "The management of the reformists by this current shows that the Executives, with the success achieved in the eleventh presidential election, are eyeing the tenth parliament for continuity." This newspaper, which after Hassan Rouhani's victory in the 2013 presidential election referred to him as a "principlist" figure, now calls Rouhani's government "the government of moderation and reform" and wrote: "The government of moderation and reform, which attempts to draw boundaries and distinctions between them, will not lead anywhere; with what successful record does it now aspire to the Majlis?" Kayhan also stated: "Expanding this type of thinking from Pasteur to Baharestan will bring great and irreparable losses to the people." The Javan newspaper, close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that Elyas Naderan and Ahmad Tavakoli, two principlist candidates for the tenth parliamentary elections, during a meeting titled "New Dimensions of Post-JCPOA Contracts and Economic Developments," severely criticized the government's lack of transparency, the secrecy of economic contracts, and the failure to announce growth rates, stating that "sanctions have been lifted on paper, not in practice," and even Hassan Rouhani's remarks about "opening a thousand oil wells" were "a lie that was easily stated." At the same time, the Qanoon newspaper, in a short note titled "Principlists Have Started," described the press conference of Ahmad Tavakoli and Elyas Naderan as a violation of election law, stating: "For a long time, after the final announcement of the names of the approved candidates from the conservative faction, this current has started early campaigning without adhering to election laws and under various covers, especially news programs." This newspaper described the principlist faction as "principle-claimants" and wrote: "The right-wing current claims more than any other front to adhere to principles and religious laws, but when it comes to achieving their factional and personal interests, they introduce a different definition of principles and rules. In this context, Bijan Nobaveh, Hojjatollah Abdolmaleki, Ahmad Tavakoli, and Elyas Naderan, as figures from the principle-claimants' list, have taken to the news coverage in the news agencies of this current to explain their electoral goals." The Iran newspaper, close to the government, reported on its front page about "the Interior Minister's warning regarding electoral destruction," stating: "Some media create devils and angels out of candidates, introducing them as individuals seeking 'infiltration' and 'conquest,' which are bad signs." The Hamdeli newspaper highlighted the account of Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Interior Minister, regarding "five visits to the Leader's office" to change the status of disqualifications. Adel Jahan Ara, in the editorial of the Hamdeli newspaper, identified the absence of political parties as the cause of destructive behaviors in elections, noting that "some candidates, more than wanting to present their programs, initially try to eliminate their rivals by any means possible," stating: "Their weapon is mostly accusations and injustices that could potentially lead to severe legal judgments from a legal perspective." The Siyasat Rooz newspaper announced the number of "smartphone users" in Iran as "20 million people" and, referring to the "significant role of Telegram in Iranian elections," warned about the "security challenges" arising from the spread of social networks in Iran. The Jahan Sanat newspaper dedicated its front page to the unimplemented section of the 2015 budget law regarding tax collection from "sacred shrines" and "headquarters," stating that Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the head of the Planning and Budget Organization and government spokesman, said in a meeting with representatives of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce on Sunday: "We must collect taxes from sacred shrines and headquarters, which fortunately the law today allows us to do, and we will carry this out next year, and we also have plans to identify tax-evading businesses." The Sharq newspaper reported the arrival of the first European oil tankers in Iranian waters. According to this newspaper, "simultaneously with the official announcement of Iran's crude oil production increase to 400,000 barrels per day following the lifting of sanctions by the Deputy Minister of Oil, the CEO of the Iranian Oil Terminals Company also announced the simultaneous arrival of three oil tankers owned by three oil companies from France, Spain, and Russia at the Kharg oil terminal after nearly four years of suspension." Sharq also published a photo of Ahmad Jannati, the 89-year-old Secretary of the Guardian Council, on its front page, reporting that this candidate for the Assembly of Experts elections introduced himself as "simple-living and decisive" during his electoral speech on Tehran TV, stating about his appointment to the Guardian Council: "When I was in Khuzestan, I heard on the radio that the Imam appointed me as a member of the Guardian Council's jurists, and I was surprised to hear this news because I had no prior activity in this field." According to this newspaper, Ahmad Jannati stated: "We hope that the Supreme Leader will hand over the flag of the victory of the revolution to the Master of the Time, and we will see that day with our own eyes." The Shahre Vahdat newspaper reported on its front page about "the rise in tobacco consumption among students," stating that Ali Akbar Sayyari, the Deputy Minister of Health, said on February 25 at a meeting of health deputies of medical universities: "51.2% of Tehran students smoke hookah, and 31% of them smoke cigarettes." The Deputy Minister of Health described the rise in tobacco consumption among students as "a serious harm" and stated: "According to a new study by the Ministry of Health on smoking and hookah consumption among Tehran students, it has been determined that 90% of those addicted to cigarettes started smoking before the age of 18."