Iran news headlines on Monday include country rejection of Russias S-300 substitute offer; Iran official remarks over Bushehr nuclear reactor malfunction; Haddad-Adel withdrawal from Iran election; Guardian Council statements onnot considering barring Rowhani from candidacy and presidential candidate havingrepresentatives at Guardian Council.
Iran rejects Russias S-300 substitute offer
The Tor antiaircraft system that Russia has proposed to Iran instead of theS-300cannot be integrated into the countrys defense system, Irans ambassador to Russia said Monday.Ambassador Seyed Mahmoud-Reza Sajjadi said Iran had developed a national defense system and within that system the proposed Tor system would be unable to fulfill the S-300s functions.
Irans nuclear reactor hit by malfunction: official
Iran's Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant has suffered a malfunction in its main generator, the Islamic Republic's ambassador toMoscowsaid on Monday.Mahmoud Reza Sadjadi did not specify the nature of the malfunction or make clear whether it has caused the plant's shutdown, Russia's state Itar-TASS news agency reported.
Conservative Haddad-Adel drops out of Iran presidential election
Conservative former parliament speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel on Monday withdrew his candidacy from Iran's June 14 presidential election, Iranian media reported. Haddad-Adel, a close adviser and a relative by marriage of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had been a member of a coalition of conservative "Principlist" candidates that includedTehranMayorMohammad Baqer Qalibafand former foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati.
Iran's Guardian Council said on Monday it was not considering barring any candidate from the June 14 presidential election, denying media reports that one of only two moderate contenders could be disqualified.