50 Million Eligible Voters

Iran’s Minister of Interior Mostafa Mohammad Najjar announced today that 50,483,192 people are eligible to vote in the presidential election on 14 June. Among them are 1,631,206 first-time voters. The runoff election, if no candidate receives a majority vote, will be held on 21 June between the two top candidates. (Mehr News Agency, 28 May)

Majlis Seats to Increase by 20

Iran’s Interior Minister Mohammad Najjar said in Tehran today that the new Majlis (the Ninth Majlis) would have 20 more seats than the current one. The increase will put the total number of seats at 310. The elections for the Ninth Majlis will be held on 2 March 2012.

Ahmadinejad Cancels Cabinet Meeting – Growing Political Crisis in Iran

In a sign of deepening political crisis in Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today cancelled the meeting of his cabinet that was scheduled to take place on Saturday in the city of Qom. Ahmadinejad holds some of the cabinet meetings in cities outside Tehran, and Qom was to host the government ministers this time. The meeting’s cancellation came after Ahmadinejad’s refusal to attend two previous cabinet meetings this week.

Uskowi on Iran reported earlier that Ahmadinejad has set three conditions for his return as president, including the reversal of Khamenei’s order against his political confident Mashaie to be the country’s First Vice President and the reversal of the supreme leader’s reinstatement of the intelligence minister.

Uskowi on Iran has also learned that Ahmadinejad has asked for the resignation of his minister of interior. The minister, Brig. Gen. Mustafa Mohammad Najjar, who headed the defense ministry prior to his interior post, is a senior IRGC officer and close to the supreme leader. The minister of interior will have considerable influence in the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for March 2012. We have previously reported that Ahmadinejad and company would run their own candidates against those chosen by Khamenei and the clerical establishment.

Also in another sign of heightened tensions in Tehran, the Majlis was to hold an extraordinary closed-door session today.

Iran to Take Revenge on Israel for Alimohammadi Assassination

IRGC Brig. Gen. Mostafa Mohammad Njjar, Iran’s Interior Minister, said on Monady that Iran would take revenge on Israel for assassination of the country’s physicist Masoud Alimohammadi [Fars News Agency, 18 Januray]. Najjar did not discuss the evidence of Israeli involvement in the assassination. Alimohammadi was killed last Tuesday when a bomb strapped to a parked motorcycle was triggered by remote control outside his home in Tehran.

Changes to Iran's Law Enforcement

Najjar appointed deputy commander of IRIPF

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has appointed Iran's interior minister Mostafa Mohammad-Najjara to the dual post of deputy commander the Islamic Republic of Iran Police Force (IRIPF).

It is reported the appointment comes after the formal request of Najjar, a former commander of the IRGC.

"In line with the critical responsibilities of the interior minister to ensure public security and order, and as the close connection between this ministry and the police would ensure order and security [in the country], I call on the commander-in-chief to allow the interior minister to assume control over the civil forces", Mohammad-Najjar wrote.

In response to the letter, Ayatollah Khamenei wrote "I appoint you as deputy commander of the [IRIPF]."

Khamenei added that further details concerning Najjar's duties as deputy commander would be announced shortly.

IRGC to arm Basij in Sistan-Baluchestan

The new commander of the IRGC in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan has directed the guards to arm the provincial Basijis (under specific conditions and supervision).

General Alireza Azimi-Jahed, who was appointed Thursday as the Sistan-Baluchestan’s IRGC commander, told Fars News Agency on Sunday that he will follow up his programs in collaboration with the new commander of Guards Quds Brigade.

Jahed replaced former Sistan-Baluchestan IRGC commander Rajabali Mohammadzadeh, who was killed in an Oct 18 suicide attack at a meeting between Shiite and Sunni groups, near the Iran-Pakistan border town of Pishin. Forty-one others were killed in the terrorist attack, including six senior IRGC commanders and several tribal leaders.

The former commander of IRGC’s Quds Brigade General Nour-Ali Shoushtari was also among those killed in the blast.

Shoushtari and Mohammadzadeh were following the same path in arming local Basijis to deal with threats against the region, which neighbors strife-torn Pakistan and war-ravaged Afghanistan.

Qatar Army Chief in Tehran

Qatar Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Hamad ibn Ali Al Attiyah (right), visited Tehran and met with Iran’s Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Mustafa Mohammad Najjar. Tehran. 7 July 2009. Mehr Photo

Najjar in Moscow

From IRNA:

Visiting Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said that expansion of ties with Russia is one of Iran's priorities and at the focus of its officials' attention.

In a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Anatoly Serdyukov, he added his country views deepening relations with Russia as strategic.

Referring to the two countries' geopolitical locations, scientific and technological capabilities and rich energy sources, Najjar noted that efforts to safeguard their countries' independence and national sovereignty are among the common characteristics of Iranian and Russian leaders.

Growing cooperation between the two countries is rooted in their strategic perspectives, he said.

Najjar listed drug smuggling, terrorism, extremist measures and NATO's expansion to the east as among the major threats to regional peace and stability.

Stating that today's international developments require renewed ties, he expressed his country's readiness to enhance ties in all fields.

Serdyukov, for his part, called for further development of bilateral ties.

Pointing to the two countries' common stances vis-à-vis regional issues, he underlined the active role of Iran and Russia in solving regional issues and promoting peace and stability.

The two sides stressed the need to continue talks on defense and technical issues and promoting cooperation between the two countries.

Najjar arrived in Moscow late on Monday on a four-day visit to the country at the official invitation of Serdyukov.

Iran Rockets Hits US Base

US military said today that a 107mm rockets made in Iran in March were fired at a US base southeast of Baghdad on 23 October. No one was injured in the attack on Combat Outpost Cashe, but one US vehicle was damaged.

An unfired rocket along with six rocket rails was seized after the attack. In the last four months, this is the 40th Iranian-manufactured rocket seized by US troops.

Meanwhile in Tehran, Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said today that Iranian missiles pose no threat to any country. He said that Iran's missile power is part of “the Islamic world's defense power.” Gen. Najjar did not elaborate what Islamic defense power is.