Iranian press review: Defence minister says country has arms factories abroad

Meanwhile, rights groups condemn destruction of dissidents’ graves, hard-liners oppose return of IAEA inspectors, and universities keep restrictions on student organisations

This handout picture released by the Iranian Army Office on 12 January 2025 shows a missile defence system during a military drill at an undisclosed location in Iran (AFP)

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Tehran admits to overseas missile factories

Two months after the end of Israel’s war on Iran, Iranian Defence Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh revealed a new aspect of the country’s missile programme, saying that Iran has defence and weapons “infrastructure and factories” in other countries.

Iran has long been known for supplying missile technology to its regional allies, but this marks the first time a senior military commander has acknowledged the existence of arms factories abroad.

Nasirzadeh also announced a shift in Iran’s military priorities after the 12-day war. He did not give details, but his reference to problems in the army and the Revolutionary Guard’s defence system early in the conflict suggests changes may target that area. Until the war, it had relied on domestic production.

Nasirzadeh, who, like Israeli officials, claimed victory in the war, also stressed the development of Iran's missile programme.

“If we did not have missile capabilities, there would definitely be no ceasefire. They would have continued until we surrendered,” he said.

On the need to expand Iran's military programmes, he said: “In today’s era, any country that is not powerful is not allowed to live. Even economic power alone will not achieve results without military power.”

Outrage over destruction of dissidents’ graves

The destruction of graves belonging to political prisoners executed in the years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution has sparked widespread anger both inside and outside Iran.

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Tehran municipality, led by hard-line mayor Alireza Zakani, demolished part of Plot 41 in Tehran’s main cemetery, where the prisoners were buried, and turned the area into a parking lot.

Hard-line Islamist groups have a long history of destroying the graves of political opponents, as well as those of artists and poets. But such large-scale destruction by an official body is rare.

Lawyer Mohsen Borhani criticised the municipality’s actions, saying: “This trend of destroying graves and replacing them with something else must be stopped. Neither Islamic law allows the destruction of people’s graves, nor do law or morality permit it. This is a crime.”

The Centre for Human Rights in Iran also condemned the move in a statement, urging international organisations to speak out and accusing the government of trying to erase evidence of its past crimes.

“By paving over these graves, the Islamic Republic is destroying critical evidence of the atrocities it committed,” the group wrote.

MP accuses IAEA inspectors of espionage

The return of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to Iran has sparked strong opposition from conservative members of parliament, some of whom accused the inspectors of spying on the country’s nuclear programme.

In June, following attacks by the US and Israel on Iran’s nuclear facilities, parliament passed a law to suspend all cooperation with the IAEA.

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Lawmakers opposed to the inspectors’ return argue that the move was illegal. The foreign minister, however, said the decision was made with the approval of the Supreme National Security Council.

Opposition MPs also said the agency provided detailed information about Iran’s nuclear programme to the US and Israel before the war, which left more than 10 nuclear scientists dead and caused widespread damage to nuclear facilities.

Amir Hossein Sabeti, one of the MPs, said: “Not even two months after parliament passed a law to suspend cooperation with the agency, the agency’s spies came to Iran disguised as inspectors.”

He also referred to remarks by Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, made after the war about IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, saying: “You said we would take care of Grossi later, but now Grossi is taking care of us.”

The Fars news agency, which is close to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also called for a review of the decision.

Explaining the reasons behind the law on suspending cooperation with the agency, it wrote: “Grossi’s unprofessional and espionage performance resulted in passing this law.”

Pressure on student organisations continues

Despite promises by President Massoud Pezeshkian to open up political space in universities, student organisations still face heavy restrictions a year after he took office.

According to the Shargh daily, around 30 student organisations were forced to suspend their activities at universities between 2021 and 2024 by order of Ministry of Higher Education officials. Most remain restricted and unable to operate.

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In Iran, student organisations not only address union issues but are also viewed as major centres of political activity. As a result, many student activists face punishments including expulsion, suspension, imprisonment, and exile.

On Wednesday, Shargh reported that while some students who had been barred from education were allowed to return after Pezeshkian came to power, banned organisations are still being systematically blocked from resuming their activities.

One student activist told the daily that after lobbying to relaunch their political organisation at Noshirvani University in Babol, they were invited to a meeting with a senior official from the Ministry of Higher Education.

“Instead of solving the problem, it felt more like an interrogation,” the student said about the meeting. “They asked us: what do you want the association for? If we allow it, how will you prove you follow Islamic laws? What is your ideology?”

* Iranian press review is a digest of news reports not independently verified as accurate by Middle East Eye.

Iranian Press Review

Iranian defence minister says Tehran has arms factories abroad: press review

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