Tickets for Busy Routes Become Scarce

The newspapers Etemad and Javan reported on two parallel meetings held by Ali Larijani and Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani with two factions of the elected representatives of the 10th Parliament. Etemad described Larijani's meeting with the elected representatives as 'Mr. President's familiar gathering' and noted that in this meeting, the Speaker of the 9th Parliament once again 'sat at the head of the meeting of the 10th representatives in the Constitutional Hall among 136 new elected members. A position that Ali Larijani hopes to maintain after the 7th of Esfand.' This newspaper mentioned that the political inclinations of the elected representatives present at the meeting with Larijani were diverse, stating, 'Larijani did not send invitations strictly based on electoral lists. Both reformists and conservatives were invited, as well as moderates,' and even 'figures from the government critics, such as Mojtaba Zolnoor, were seen at the meeting,' with about ten to fifteen reformist representatives from Tehran also present. According to Etemad, on Monday at the Masjid al-Rahman in Tehran, 80 conservative representatives of the 10th Parliament met with Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani, the Secretary-General of the Society of Clergy of Tehran. The newspaper emphasized that all of these meetings, whether explicitly or implicitly, indicate the beginning of weighing the political landscape for the days after the 7th of Esfand. Concurrently, the Javan newspaper, close to the Revolutionary Guards, reported on the 'meeting of conservative representatives with Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani,' quoting Hossein Naqavi Hosseini, a representative from Varamin, stating that in this meeting, 'it was decided to form a temporary committee to create coordination among the conservative representatives of the next Parliament to maintain cohesion among conservatives, so that God willing, the second round of elections can be held and the composition of the next Parliament can be more clearly defined, and then decisions can be made on how to maintain the unity of conservatives.' This newspaper did not mention the number of 'conservative representatives' present at the meeting with the Secretary-General of the Society of Clergy of Tehran, but noted that Reza Taqavi, a member of the Society of Clergy and the head of the Policy Council of Friday Prayer Leaders, also expressed the 'priorities of the 10th Parliament' for the conservative representatives during this meeting. The newspaper Hemayat published statements from the head of the judiciary regarding 'infiltration' in the elections on the 7th of Esfand, while concurrently, the newspaper Qanoon suggested Iran's intervention in the U.S. elections. According to Hemayat, Sadeq Larijani, the head of the judiciary, stated on Tuesday during a meeting of senior judicial officials that the judiciary 'stands firm in corruption cases and the favored ones,' adding that in a recent meeting with the members of the Assembly of Experts, the Supreme Leader 'discussed the issue of infiltration in detail because it is important, and we witnessed some signs of infiltration in the recent elections.' This newspaper, affiliated with the prison organization, also quoted the head of the judiciary stating that the leadership does not raise the issue of infiltration based on assumptions but 'based on credible information and reports,' because now 'enemies, knowing they cannot harm our system through coups and such activities, are therefore seeking infiltration in the country,' and in this method 'the enemy seeks to ensure that the decision made by our politician aligns with their ultimate goal.' Concurrently, Saeed Sadoughi, a researcher in religious sciences, wrote in a note titled 'Why Shouldn't We Intervene in the U.S. Elections!?' in the newspaper Qanoon: 'The experience of senior nuclear negotiators, especially Iran's foreign minister, has shown that the risk of infiltration can be managed and even reversed, and by preemptively using social media leverage and public opinion, we can guide and organize other countries in favor of Iran's national goals.' This newspaper noted that 'the trend of nuclear developments and the beginning and end of sanctions and Iran's return to the global financial system necessitates that we be sensitive to external factors that may slow or harm the JCPOA process,' stating that 'on the eve of the U.S. electoral competitions, the issue of Iran is at the forefront of debates, and undoubtedly, Obama's opponents and the American negotiating team would also like to create a return or adjustment in the JCPOA and its results with the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.' The columnist of the newspaper Qanoon emphasized the 'complete monitoring of debates and the alignment of competitions around Iran's small and large interests' and 'the necessity of activating Iranians residing in the U.S. and all supporters of the JCPOA inside and outside the country,' stating that these factors 'enable us to turn the risk of infiltration into an opportunity and instead of a passive decision against foreign interference in the fate of Iranians, we can be vigilant and active in the outcome of the U.S. elections for our country.' The newspaper San'at, Mine, and Trade (Samt) reported on the 'ups and downs of the pre-New Year market,' referring to three waves in the market during Bahman and Esfand, stating about the 'first wave' that in Bahman, 'the New Year's bonuses for employees were paid earlier than for workers, and the market was full of the presence of salaried individuals who took their wives and children to the market for New Year's shopping.' This newspaper introduced the second wave as the 'wave of watching,' stating that 'after the shopping frenzy among employees in Bahman subsided due to the depletion of their financial resources and the same bonuses,' the market activity of this class of buyers also calmed down, and 'the story of most days in the Iranian market until the 12th of Esfand was one of presence and watching.' According to the newspaper Samt, the third wave began 'from the 12th of Esfand with the opening and launching of spring stores across Iran, especially in Tehran,' and now 'the sound of jingling coins from the New Year's bonuses of workers is heard from the pockets of this hardworking class of society and reaches the ears of merchants,' thus 'the engine of the Iranian market's revival in the final days of the year will be powered by workers who have just received their salaries and bonuses, and employees will also join the ranks of buyers and customers in the market with their salaries for the month of Esfand.' The newspaper Shahrvand also reported on 'the status of New Year transportation and readiness to serve New Year travelers,' stating that 'tickets for busy routes have become scarce.' According to this newspaper, there are still a few days left until the New Year, but 'the capacity of compartment trains has been filled,' and 'many busy routes such as Tehran-Tabriz, Tehran-Mashhad, Tehran-Isfahan, and Tehran-Shiraz' have almost no tickets available for purchase, while 'field studies show that currently, most tickets for New Year flights have been sold, especially tickets for flights to Kish or international trips for the first week of the New Year,' and 'tickets for other air destinations are also running out.' The newspaper Shahrvand noted that 'a significant portion of Iranian New Year travels is carried out by road and personal vehicles; however, intercity buses remain a popular option for New Year travel.' Simultaneously, with the beginning of New Year travels, the deputy of the traffic police announced the 'implementation of new driving fines from the 25th of Esfand.' The newspaper Farhikhtegan published a photo on the occasion of the end of the year 94 from its editorial board, which included an image of 'Ehsan Mazandarani' on a table alongside the newspaper's writers. In the margin of this photo, this newspaper emphasized the continuity of 'editorial management' by Ehsan Mazandarani. Ehsan Mazandarani is a journalist who, along with three other journalists, Saman Safarzadeh, Afrin Chitsaz, and Eisa Saharkhiz, has been detained by the Intelligence Organization of the Revolutionary Guards since November and remains in custody. The examination of the missile tests by the Revolutionary Guards in the UN Security Council has also attracted the attention of Iranian newspapers on Tuesday. The newspaper Sharq, in its front page, noted that the end of the Security Council meeting 'was without a resolution against Iran,' writing: 'This meeting concluded without any statement or resolution that would condemn Iran's missile tests or impose sanctions.' In this meeting, 'Russia stated that Iran's missile tests did not violate previous resolutions and therefore there is no need to sanction this country.' The newspaper Shahrvand also reported that Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, stated in an interview with Radio New Zealand that 'the missile program is one of the aspects of the defensive capabilities that we need,' adding that 'Tehran has not violated the UN Security Council resolution with these tests.' The newspaper Etemad also reported that 'after 7 years of experimental equality of insurance for men and women in accidents, it has become law.' The newspaper Javan, close to the Revolutionary Guards, in its special news column, cited 'unconfirmed reports' stating that 'Attaollah Mohajerani, the Minister of Culture in the reformist government, has received firm and favorable promises from some officials and influential individuals for a quiet return to the country.' The newspaper Kayhan also called for the swift establishment of a 'national information network,' or what is referred to as the 'national internet project,' writing: 'Given the importance of the national information network, which officials have repeatedly referred to, we must ask them for the reason behind all this delay and negligence in its establishment.'