The Islamic Republic Reacts to Opposition Forum at Georgetown University

“What is zero plus zero?” Nour News Agency rhetorically asked on February 10, in its coverage of a panel discussion at Georgetown University featuring Iranian opposition figures, and answered: “Zero.” Javan newspaper, a mouthpiece of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and hard-line Kayhan newspaper reached the same conclusion. But the fact that the mouthpieces of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and the IRGC covered the Georgetown University opposition panel illustrates the importance the regime attached to it.    

• February 10: In its coverage of “The Future of Iran’s Democracy Movement” panel at Georgetown University, Nour News Agency wrote: “Disparate counterrevolutionary groups took part in a joint propaganda forum at Georgetown University in the United States … These individuals have fundamental differences of opinion with each other … but are feigning unity … The timing of this forum can surely not be accidental.” Nour News claimed the “counterrevolution” is “trying to distract public attention from the most important event of public rallies commemorating the victory of the revolution,” referencing the February 11 commemoration of the anniversary of the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. “Following several months of unrest, protests, and insurrection, calm has fully returned to the country. The enemy’s war against the Iranian nation proved fruitless, and by mobilizing the counterrevolution, the efficacy of which the enemy does not believe in, the enemy is using its last card. The enemy is running out of poisonous arrows with which it has hitherto targeted the national unity of Iranians.”  
• February 12: Javan newspaper, reporting on the Georgetown University panel under the headline “Gathering of the Vanquished,” concluded Revolution Day rallies showed the opposition panelists, “were defeated.”  
• February 13: Searching for support for its claim that “millions” of Iranians took part in February 11 Revolution Day rallies, in “a de facto referendum,” as Kayhan claimed, the hard-line daily referenced news sources such as the Syrian Arab News Agency and Russia’s Sputnik News.  

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