Comments by four prominent state officials, namely the heads of the three branches of government and the chairman of the Expediency Council, dominated the front pages of the Iranian papers on Thursday. President Rouhani’s optimism about the eventual conclusiveness of nuclear talks with the world powers; Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani’s comments in opposition to blocking social networking sites; Ali Larijani’s praise for the prowess of the Iranian armed forces, and Ayatollah Rafsanjani’s swipe at hardliners for their obstructive tactics were splashed across the front pages of the dailies. Iran’s 15^th gold medal in the Asian Games, underway in South Korea, also grabbed front-page headlines.

Afarinesh: “Ties between Iran and Britain are not formed based on a speech or an interview by an official on either side,” the Iranian government spokesman said.

Afarinesh: “The Judiciary is not interested in blocking social networking sites,” Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani said.

Aftab-e Yazd quotes principlists as denying reports that Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi will lead them in the upcoming elections. “The one who is at the center of division cannot be at the center of a united front.”

Aftab-e Yazd: “Blocking [websites] is not the right way to solve the problems,” the Iranian minister of communications and information technology said.

Arman-e Emrooz: “Hardliners are angry with the Iranian people [for their vote for moderation] and are today directing their anger at the government the public have chosen to represent them,” Chairman of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said.

Arman-e Emrooz: “Iran pursues positive, constructive interaction with all countries,” President Rouhani tells the Irish parliament speaker.

Asr-e Eghtesad: “Iran’s exports have registered a 22 percent increase.”

Asr-e Iranian: “Attacks on IS are an excuse to target Syrian infrastructure,” Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said.

Ebtekar: “[Nuclear] talks will be conclusive,” President Rouhani tells his Cabinet after travelling to New York where his nuclear negotiators held a seventh round of talks with P5+1.

Etemad: “What I said at the Council on Foreign Relations has been mistranslated,” the Iranian foreign minister said in response to the ballyhoo hardliners have raised at home about his comments at CFR.

Ettela’at: Tehran is to play host to an international conference dubbed “The World against Violence and Extremism”.

Ettela’at: “We formulate our relations with Britain based on our national interests,” Government Spokesman Mohammad Bagher Nobakht said.

Ettela’at: “The president stood up for the dignity of the Iranian people at the United Nations,” the Judiciary chief said.

Javan: “Ebola is the product of a top secret American project in Africa,” a Liberian newspaper has reported.

Jomhouri Islami: “A report on the violations of the ‘Targeted Subsidies Act’ under the previous government has been sent to the Judiciary.”

Jomhouri Islami: “Iran’s economy posted positive growth in the first quarter,” reports the Statistics Bureau.

Kaenat: “No country dares attack Iran; the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps is one of the mightiest militaries in the Middle East,” Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani warned America’s allies.

Kar va Kargar: “Iran has proven that it’s ready to build trust,” Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani said as he urged the West not to seek excuse [about Iran’s nuclear activity].

Kayhan: “Establishment of nine permanent military bases in Afghanistan is the gift a newly-signed security deal with Kabul hands Washington.”

Kayhan: “The overall number of medals Iranian athletes has bagged in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea has hit the 40 mark.”

Mardomsalari: “We are committed to continued talks [with P5+1],” said Ali Akbar Velayati, a former foreign minister who now serves as an adviser to the Supreme Leader.

Sharq: “We will not limit our practice [of promoting virtue and preventing vice] to verbal warnings,” says the secretary general of Ansar Hezbollah, a hard-line group whose now-stalled plan to enforce morality laws has sparked a row with the Interior Ministry of late.

Vatan-e Emrooz: “Reports that Iran’s economy has posted 4.6 percent growth in the first quarter [after being mired in negative territory last year] are more like a dream than reality,” Tehran MP Gholamreza Mesbahi Moghadam said.

Iranian newspapers on October 1^st hailed the strong showing of Iranian athletes in the Asian Games which makes the likelihood of Iran claiming the fourth spot in the overall standings of the event all the more stronger. Remarks by President Hassan Rouhani that “Blind sanctions should be removed” were at the center of another story which dominated the front pages of a handful of newspapers. Also under the spotlight was the announcement by officials that [compulsory] military service in Iran will increase to 24 months.

Afkar: “The Chinese president is to make a trip to Iran,” is the daily’s top pick on its front page.

Arman-e Emrooz: “7,000-billion-toman rent-seeking in the previous government”, the daily wrote, quoting the head of parliament’s Economic Committee as saying that three foreign exchange brokers earned the staggering amount in collaboration with the Central Bank of Iran.

Arman-e Emrooz: “[Former President] Ahmadinejad should have been impeached,” is a headline in the daily quoting Sadegh Zibakalam, a university lecturer, as arguing that part of Ahmadinejad’s policies made Iran distance itself from the rest of the world, something which, as he put it, has caused huge economic and political losses for Iran.

Arman-e Emrooz features an exclusive interview with Jafar Towfighi, a former senior advisor to the science minister, citing him as saying that opponents of President Rouhani’s administration are resorting to the 2009 postelection developments to turn up the heat against Rouhani.

Asia: “Iran to stop car imports from South Korea, Germany and Japan,” reads a headline on the daily’s front page, bringing under focus such brands as Hyundai, KIA, Honda, Mitsubishi and Mercedes.

Asr-e Iranian: “Iran is not willing to take the place of Russia in exporting gas to Europe,” said President Rouhani in an interview with a Russian TV channel.

Asrar: “If the other party shows courage, a final nuclear agreement would be inked,” President Hassan Rouhani said.

Ebtekar reports that six Iranian filmmakers have formed a campaign to call for public support for a final [nuclear] agreement with the West, arguing that nothing is worse than ‘no agreement’ in the talks.

Ebtekar: “Mohammad Ali Najafi is to be named as the minister of science, research and technology.” He is currently serving as the acting minister.

Eghtesad-e Pooya: “I offer my [gold] medal to Dr. Rouhani,” said Ehsan Haddadi, the Iranian discus thrower who bagged Iran’s 12^th gold medal in the Asian Games, underway in Incheon, South Korea.

Eghtesad-e Pooya: “The financial discipline which is in place in the Oil Ministry is the achievement that the Cabinet of Prudence and Hope has pulled off,” said the director of the National Iranian Gas Company.

Ettela’at: “Iran plans to send man to space in four years.”

Ettela’at quotes the economy minister as saying that the wheels of production are spinning.

Ettela’at: “Terror groups do not pose a threat to Iran,” said Commander of the Army’s ground forces, Brigadier General Ahmadreza Pourdastan.

Hamshahri runs a number of interviews with some MPs who have stressed that the government should pay enough attention to other sectors and not hinge the country’s fate only on the results of nuclear talks.  

Hemayat reports on the facilitation of trade transactions between Iran and Russia and puts “Euro and dollar are to be replaced by ruble in Iran-Russia trade” on its front page.

Hemayat: “The world booed [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu [for his anti-Iran comments at the UN General Assembly]”.

Iran Daily: “Iran to continue supporting Syria against terrorism,” Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said.

Kar va Kargar: “The country’s main challenge down the line would be youth unemployment,” said Masoud Nili, the president’s economic advisor.

Rah-e Mardom: The health minister says fees patients are paying for admission to public hospitals will drop again as of October 5.

Tafahom:“Iran’s has climbed14 notches in the world as far as the tourism industry is concerned.”

Vatan-e Emrooz puts “New aspects of Zarif-Gate” on its front page, saying that the release of a video in which the foreign minister confides in members of the US Council on Foreign Relations has raised concerns over loyalty to Iran’s national interests in nuclear talks.