Iranian press review: Conservative media demand rejection of US proposal
The new US proposal for a nuclear deal with Iran has drawn sharp criticism from Iranian conservative media, with some urging Iranian diplomats to halt the negotiations.
The Jame Jam daily, run by the country's only state broadcaster, last Tuesday dedicated all of its main content to the issue. Its main front-page story addressed Iran's foreign minister directly, with the headline: 'Mr Araghchi! America's new damn nonsense is not worth a response.'
It read: 'America's history of making excessive demands and the topics they have raised show that Washington's proposal does not deserve a reply.'
The article was in response to recent remarks by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said Iran would soon issue a written response to the US proposal.
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Jame Jam also criticised the Massoud Pezeshkian administration's handling of talks with the US. In a column by conservative media analyst Sepehr Khalaji, the daily urged the government to 'learn a lesson' from previous negotiations that had failed to produce results.
Another conservative analyst, Morad Anadi, contrasted the international pressure on Iran's nuclear programme with the silence surrounding Israel's.
'In this unfair system, which is called nuclear apartheid, the Zionist regime has more than 200 nuclear warheads, is not a member of the NPT, and has never allowed inspections of its nuclear sites,' he said.
Rare unity as politicians slam cleric arrested in Saudi Arabia
The arrest of Gholamreza Ghasemian, an extremist Iranian cleric, in Saudi Arabia has sparked rare unity in Iranian domestic politics, with all political factions, including from principlists and reformists, condemning the controversial figure.
Ghasemian, who in recent years had gained strong support from conservative and hard-line groups in Iran, criticised Saudi Arabia's rulers in a video he posted online while in the country for the Hajj pilgrimage.
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Following his arrest and deportation by Saudi authorities, the conservative Iranian daily Quds criticised his remarks, writing: 'An incident like this, at a time when the Iranian diplomatic team is rebuilding regional relations, creates a negative impact. It also sows division in the Islamic world; exactly what the United States and the Zionist regime want.'
The reformist newspaper Arman Melli welcomed the principlists' condemnation of Ghasemian, calling it a sign of the government's efforts to avoid extremist policies.
Abdolreza Davari, a reformist political activist, wrote in an opinion piece for Arman Melli, titled: 'The political climate in the Islamic Republic is changing."
He wrote: 'Radical behaviour and speech no longer have a place at the highest levels of governance. A clear example of this shift is the cold response from both the government and public opinion to Qasemian's recent remarks in Medina.'
Jalal Rashidi Kochi, a former member of the Iranian parliament, also posted on X: 'Mr Ghasemian, you are not serving religion or the revolution. You are deliberately causing harm to the country, the people, and the establishment. This action is not courage, and it is not stupidity. It is treason.'
IRGC criticised for 'hell' attraction in northern city
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has come under fire for building a 'hell' attraction in the northern city of Fuman, based on Shia Islamic beliefs. After facing backlash, the IRGC announced plans to build a 'paradise' site as well, a move that has only added to the criticism.
In a video shared on social media, visitors are shown walking across a metal bridge suspended just above real flames. In the background, actors perform scenes meant to represent torture in hell, including flogging.
Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Ali Ayazi, a renowned religious scholar, strongly reacted to the project. 'People are already suffering from economic hardship, poverty, poor management, electricity and gas shortages, water issues, and many other problems,' he said. 'Why would you want to add to their suffering?'
Political activist Abdolreza Davari also criticised the project, pointing to the country's winter gas shortages.
He estimated the gas consumption of the attraction: 'If the Fuman hell uses 150 burners for four hours a day, and each burner uses 20 cubic metres of gas per hour, then it burns 12,000 cubic meters of gas every day. That is equal to the daily gas use of 480 homes in winter and costs about $2,400 per day.'
China planes-for-oil deal sparks outcry
The arrival of two used Airbus A330 planes from China to Iran has triggered criticism over the exploitative nature of the economic deals between the two countries.
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Local media reported that the planes were sold at nearly four times their actual value, raising concerns about exploitation under international sanctions.
The story was first reported by the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA), which claimed that "the Chinese sold $30m worth of planes for $116m".
According to ILNA, Haokun Energy, a Chinese company, took advantage of Iran's limited access to global oil markets and banking systems, caused by international sanctions. The planes were reportedly delivered in exchange for Iranian oil.
This is not the first time Chinese companies have been accused of benefiting from US sanctions against Iran. However, it is one of the highest sums publicly mentioned in this context.
ILNA also highlighted other issues related to Haokun Energy, noting that the company still owes substantial amounts of money to Iran.
Under the previous government, the Chinese company signed a $2.5bn development project for Imam Khomeini Airport, again in exchange for Iranian oil. Experts at the time said the project's fees were extremely high.
* Iranian press review is a digest of news reports not independently verified as accurate by Middle East Eye.
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