A look at Iranian newspaper front pages on Jan. 2

The president’s order to accelerate the country’s missile program dominated the front pages of Iranian newspapers on Saturday.

 

Ettela’at: The president has ordered Iran’s missile capabilities boosted.

It came in reaction to continued hostilities by the US administration.

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Abrar: The chairman of the Expediency Council has said that the establishment has no problem with religious minorities, especially Christians.

 

 

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Abrar-e Eghtesadi: The private sector has been given the go-ahead to import gasoline.

 

 

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Afarinesh: Kashan University and University of Illinois have signed a cooperation document.

Afarinesh: The defense minister has said that Iran’s defense and missile capability poses no threat to neighboring countries.

 

 

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Afkar: In the first nine months of the year [started March 21, 2015] 145 trade delegations from 48 countries visited Iran.

Afkar: Iran’s missile capability is not negotiable, said Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

 

 

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Aftab-e Yazd: The plan to ease air pollution stalled for eight years [a reference to Ahmadinejad’s presidency], said the director of the Environment Protection Organization.

 

 

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Arman-e Emrooz: The former intelligence minister has said that his men had infiltrated the Presidential Office in the final two years of Ahmadinejad presidency.

Arman-e Emrooz: Those who ordered an attack on Tehran MP Ali Motahari when he was in Shiraz to deliver a speech will go on trial.

The announcement came as a court in the southern city issued a verdict in the case of those who carried out the attack.

 

 

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Asrar: President Rouhani’s chief of staff has said the sanctions are on the verge of being eliminated.

Asrar: Ali Motahari, an MP, has said Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani should have parted ways with principlists much earlier.

 

 

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Ebtekar: Our tunnels are full of missiles ready to blast off, said Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the second in command of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps.

 

 

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Etemad: I hope Iran can develop missiles with a range of more than 5,000 km, said Mohsen Rezaei [a former Revolution Guards commander] in a letter to President Rouhani.

 

 

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Hemayat: The attorney general has underlined a unified approach to protecting the environment.

 

 

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Iran: The US backed down after a decision by President Rouhani [to boost Iran’s missile capability].

New missile sanctions against Iran have been put off.

 

 

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Javan: Iran’s missile response to the post-JCPOA sanctions

Imposition of sanctions has been put off.

 

 

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Jomhouri Islami: Petrochemical products to receive €12 billion in finances.

 

 

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Kayhan: Stopping the nuclear deal would be the best response to American audacity.

 

 

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Khorasan: The director of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization has said that the exhumation of the bodies of a number of Iranian victims of the Mina tragedy has started.

 

 

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Resalat: The Foreign Ministry spokesman has said Iran will respond to the American measures by boosting its defense capability.

 

 

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Sharq: Applications by American citizens to travel to Iran have doubled.

 

 

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Vaghaye-e Etefaghiyeh: Wait for the rhetoric to get tougher.

In an interview with the daily, Hossein Allah Karam has defended the insulting comments Yalasarat weekly published against the vice-president for women and family affairs.

We published that piece in line with the principle of freedom of speech, he said.