General Jazaeri: We Are in a Long-Term War

Even as next year’s annual budget presented to the Majlis is under review by parliament, the Basij and Propaganda deputy of the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff of Iran’s armed forces who had earlier called for the establishment of the “Ministry of Soft-war” announced that the Islamic republic was currently at “war” and called on the legislature to make plans for confrontation and “defense.”

Speaking at a seminar titled, “Holly Defense Faction” Revolutionary Guard commander Masoud Jazaeri said, “Yesterday we were engaged in a war that had been imposed on us. Those make excessive demands (a reference to the US in the recent nuclear talks) and aggressors imposed that war on us with goal of overthrowing our regime. When we examine the documents we come to the conclusion that the Americans were the initiators of the war and those who continued it, and they made much effort to create new challenges for the state.”

According to him, “Today, we must continue that very holy defense of yesterday. When the enemy saw that he cannot attain his goals, he began the soft-war. We are in a state of a multi-aggression war. Yesterday’s aggressions and war were partly understood but today’s war is far from being understood.”

The deputy chairman of the joint chiefs of staff asserted that “the documents of the enemy tell us that we have a long imposed war before us. We see that we are under aggression and military attack. The fact that we are under attack has not yet been fully grasped by our society, our managers and it does not exist in our laws and consequently no appropriate defense can take place. For defending against this war we need to act many times more and deeper than we did during the holy war. This was has no geographic limits and deals with the mind and spirit of humans and is after destroying their beliefs and structure, and aims to change our priorities.”

Jazaeri, who is also the commander of the “soft-war command,” continued, “We must tie yesterday’s full-fledged war to today’s defense because today we are in a complete soft-war. We must accept that we are under a soft aggression by the enemies and must make plans and work on this basis.”

Majlis chief Larijani also spoke during this seminar and said, “Maintaining the defense posture of the country must be pursued with force because the armed forces of the Islamic republic of Iran today play the role of bringing security to the region and have played a good role in the regional crises such as terrorism.” He continued, “Today, nobody dares attack Iran but the kind of dangers in the region have multiplied. Having armed forces with a strong defensive posture plays an important role” and then called for a stronger defense budget through the efforts of the newly created “holy defense faction” in parliament.

Larijani then echoed the call. “Now that the time has come for the Majlis to review next year’s budget law, the holy defense faction must undertake a number of important tasks,” he said. “If some say that talk of defensive posture is not appropriate in today’s world, this is a deceptive remark. Jihadi spirit creates national defense of the country and when it is mixed with thought it strengthens the country. Countries that have good options but are forced to change their decisions through a simple telephone call from another country lack jihadi and self-sacrificing spirit,” he said.

“The problems of the armed forces must be resolved so that the extensive foundation for holy defense is created. We must be thankful to the military and the Guards,” Larijani said and then turned to the ‘holy defense faction of the Majlis’ and said, “Because of the many tasks of parliamentarians in reviewing the budget sections of the law, the holy war faction must put the needs of the armed forces under a few headings on the budget agenda.”

The holy war faction in the Majlis was created on August 19 (the day in 1953 when a coup d’état in Iran removed prime minister Mossadegh from office) this year and comprises of hardline conservatists and former members of the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij para-military force who are critical of the current administration.  Laleh Eftekhari who heads the faction at one time said that the group had 100 members. Masood Jazaeri who now claims the country is in a state of war and calls on the Majlis to prepare for this had earlier called for the establishment of a government agency called “ministry of soft-war” under the control of the Revolutionary Guards.