Rouhani’s Insinuating Response to IRGC’s Demands

Just one day after Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani made a comment about the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), a senior commander of the force responded by saying, “The guards do not invest in any political personality or group, but it is natural that if some individuals distance themselves from the line of the Imam (Khomeini), the supreme leader or the identity of the revolution, the Guards will have an issue with them.”

Tasnim news agency closely affiliated with the IRGC said that a general of the Guards Force Mohammad Pakpoor had said, “The Guards are not just a mere classic military but is a collection of revolutionary children of the country who because of religious and revolutionary dedication have entered the field of defending the accomplishments of the regime after which they entered the military field because of the necessities of the holly defense (a reference to the 8-year Iran-Iraq war)  so that today they are proficient in the most advanced professions and specialized military skills such as those related to missiles and drones. This is a huge source of pride for the Guards.”

The general is quoted to have also responded to the recent remarks that the Guards should not be involved in political issues by saying, “If being political means being politically committed , having political wisdom and being present at the front lines in the battle against the enemies of the revolution  and the regime, then the IRGC is a hundred percent political. But if being political means being partisan, then that is a red line for the Guards.”

Pakpoor continued, “The Guards will never invest in political individuals or groups, but it is natural that if anyone distances himself from the line of the Imam, the supreme leader and the identity of the revolution, then the Guards will have a problem with him. The IRGC will never be indifferent to issues that relate to the revolution and the destiny of people.”

At the same time, cleric Abdolali Govahi, the representative of the supreme leader in Tehran Guards Force made insinuating remarks in connection with the president recent statement. He said, “One of the institutions that has succeeded till today to defend the revolution and listen to the many voices inside and outside the country without being influenced an iota by them and remain revolutionary is the Islamic Revolution Guards Force.” He also asserted that whatever the Guards have done it has been with the support of the people. “The Guards have included the Basij into its organization and the Basij is the people. After domestic and foreign threats, and even economic threats, the Guards confronted the economic threats through construction bases and the use of educated young people.”

According to Govahi, “The Guards will not allow the Islamic revolution to be harmed. This is why the enemies are trying to destroy it and make it passive through their threats. But they do not know that all our people are defenders of the revolution and the more the enemy threatens the more enthusiastic the Guards become in the various fields of the revolution.”

On army day in Iran, April 18, president Rouhani made subtle remarks about the military which political commentators believe was directed at the commanders of the IRGC and the force itself. Speaking at the Friday congregational prayers, he said, “The armed forces of the Islamic republic of Iran, which contains the deserving children of this land, are the right institution for the defense of the Islamic homeland. The military has made it its supreme goal to defend this land, nation and the popular regime without looking at the political, party and factional divisions.” In another part of his talk, he emphasized on the “non-pursuit of special spheres” of the military and said that the force had shown that it was acting in line with the wishes of will of founder ayatollah Khamenei. He said, “The armed forces should not  interfere in political affairs. Even though he forces are fully aware of political issues and should be, but they never interfere in the political factions and political power plays. The armed forces have never asked the nation and the government for special rights. It has always been after the defense of the country, the revolution and the regime.”

In his concluding remarks he said, “The government asks of the people and the armed forces to give the government the necessary opportunity to rebuild the national economy and the development of culture and society.”

These remarks come just a few weeks after the insinuating remarks that were exchanged between the government and the military.

Revolutionary Guard commanders, and those of the Basji, regularly comment on the political issues of the country. Since Rouhani has taken office as the new prudent, the Guards have asked for greater economic role in the country. For example, speaking to a group of commanders from the country’s provinces, Mohammad Ali Jaafari, the commander of the IRGC, Jaafari said, “Unfortunately, the government does not welcome the recommendations and steps of the Basij for the resistance economy. We hope that the government uses the effective capabilities of the Basij, the Guards and the masses of people.”

On April 10 this year, the chairman of the armed forces command general Hassan Firuzabadi had said, “The armed forces have no economic missions. They merely perform work in the economy.” Elsewhere he said, “The armed forces would step in to support the government on economic issues.”

But some senior authorities in the Guards have also been critical of Rouhani administration’s performance in foreign policy and have accused him of being complacent with the West.

The representative of ayatollah Khamenei at the Revolutionary Guards Ali Saaedi on February 21^st made a veiled reference to Rouhani’s views and announced, “Authorities should hear the message of the people and the supreme leader that if we are to engage in diplomacy with the West they should engage logically and refrain from being complacent or compromising on the ideals of the revolution.”

Rouhani in turn has said that the Guards do not wish international sanctions to be lifted and people’s living conditions improved. 

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