Majlis impeaches Interior Minister over fake degree; Supreme Leader praises amicable ties between Sunnis and Shiites in Iran; Ahmadinejad congratulates Barack Obama on his victory
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    • The Majlis overwhelmingly voted to oust Interior Minister Ali Kordan on account of his fake Ph.D. degree. Kordan had also served as deputy oil minister in the current administration before taking over the Interior Ministry portfolio. Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani stated that the removal of Kordan proved that parliamentarians did not show any ‘mercy’ to anyone in the discharge of their duties1.

    Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, meeting with officials in charge of Hajj pilgrimage in Tehran, stated that some people tried to magnify minor issues in the society with the aim of criticizing the government's performance. Khamenei also referred to the amicable ties between Shiite and Sunnis in the Islamic Republic and charged that Iran was being painted as a place of intolerance by its enemies2.

    Reports noted that the Deputy Secretary of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) for Foreign Policy and International Security Affairs, Ali Baqeri will visit New Delhi this week to hold talks with Indian officials. Mr. Baqeri's visit comes on the heel of EAM Pranab Mukherjee's trip to Tehran in the previous week during which both sides signed several agreements encompassing economic, agricultural and judicial cooperation3.

    Iran expressed the hope that US President-elect Barack Obama will change American foreign policy and avoid invading foreign countries. Government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham stated that heavy costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were the departing President Bush's only legacy4. Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulated Mr. Obama on his victory and urged basic and clear changes in Washington's foreign and domestic policies. He also called on Mr. Obama to reverse the ‘unfair’ attitude towards restoring the rights of the Palestinians, Iraqis and the Afghans5.

    However, Mr. Ahmadinejad's initiative as well as Mr. Obama's response drew criticism from hardliners in both the countries. Obama on his part did not respond to the congratulatory message from the Iranian President, with reports pointing out that he was mindful of the political implications of such a gesture. Obama also added that Iran's development of a nuclear weapon “is unacceptable” and called on Tehran to cease supporting terrorist organisations. Speaker of the Iranian parliament, Ali Larijani described Obama's comments as a “step in the wrong direction.” Hard-line Iranian newspapers also criticized the appointment of Rahm Emmanuel as Obama’s chief of staff, whose background reportedly included volunteer service in the Israeli army6.

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