Security Council is a Taboo in Persian Press

Morteza Sadeghi, Rooz Online:

The secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SPSC) issued a confidential directive to the state-run radio and television network instructing its directors not to mention or discuss the fact that Iran’s nuclear file has been referred to the UN Security Council. In the directive, the SPSC asks that the word “Security Council” not be used as much as possible. READ MORE

Following the directive, while the national radio and TV on Wednesday spent about 5 minutes of its news coverage over president Ahmadinejad’s trip to Lorestan province, and about 2 minutes covering the Majlis (Parliament) proceedings, it spent about a minute and thirty seconds announcing the decision of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna to send Iran’s nuclear file to the UN Security Council. And in that news item, instead of mentioning the Security Council, the report simply said that the IAEA ended its session without issuing a resolution.

On Thursday, Iranian newspapers simply headlined that “Iranian Diplomats were on their way to New York.” Again the IAEA was mentioned only in terms of not issuing a final resolution. Only hardline Keyhan briefly mentioned in small print that Iran’s nuclear dossier had been sent to the UN Security Council.

The state radio and television network too made no reference at all to the UN Security Council in its news bulletins on Thursday. And about the IAEA decision, it accused countries “friendly” with Iran of “treason”, the open door to negotiations and the continuation of Iran’s research work in the nuclear field.