Media Analysis

Arash Aramesh

Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani took the risky step on September 21 and met with the families of political prisoners. Rafsanjani, the chairman of the Assembly of Experts, said he would express their concerns directly to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. more»

Arash Aramesh

IRNA, the Islamic Republic’s News Agency, dedicated its main homepage headline to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech at the Third Millennium Summit at the UN. According to IRNA, the Iranian president said to a group of reporters and media representatives September 21 that, “There is no need for mediations for talks between the US and Iran…the West needs to talk to Iran.” more»

Shayan Ghajar

Turkish President Abdullah Gül will be cancelling a meeting previously planned with Israeli President Shimon Peres during this week’s United Nations summit, yet will still meet with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, according to Fars News. more»

Arash Aramesh

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appeared September 17 on the IRINN, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s News Network, for an exclusive interview covering all domestic and international topics. During the interview, which was clearly scripted, President Ahmadinejad defended the actions of his controversial advisors and surprisingly spent a significant amount of time talking about the virtues of Cyrus the Great, an ancient Iranian king usually disliked by the clergy in Iran. more»

Aniseh

An estimated $60 billion US arms deal over 10 years to Saudi Arabia has prompted an alarmist response from Iran’s state-owned media. The sale by the United States to Iran’s staunch foe in the Persian Gulf is likely to be viewed by Iran as an act of provocation. more»