A Senior Commander of the IRGC Says the Vote of Masoud Pezeshkian Should Not Be Undermined

A senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned supporters of Saeed Jalili, the failed conservative candidate in the presidential elections, that they should not undermine the vote of Masoud Pezeshkian, the elected president. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, wrote in a note in the 'Javan' newspaper, affiliated with the IRGC, that Mr. Pezeshkian is 'the president of the entire nation and every single person in Iran and is supported by the revolutionary forces,' and that the 'revolutionary forces' should 'avoid any comments about the electoral process and the amount of his votes that contradict this undeniable truth.' He addressed Jalili's supporters without directly mentioning them, stating that if they write 'something criticizing the behavior' of Pezeshkian's supporters, 'such statements should not be interpreted as undermining the vote of the victorious president.' These remarks, which may reflect the official view of the IRGC regarding the elections, are a reaction to the harsh criticisms from Jalili's supporters following the announcement of the results of the second round of the presidential elections on July 15, where Masoud Pezeshkian, the reformist candidate, was declared the winner with over 16 million votes. A group of Jalili's supporters accused the Guardian Council of 'engineering the elections,' claiming it led to Pezeshkian's victory. They also emphasized the 'ethnic votes' for the elected president, which they believe was the 'main reason' for Jalili's defeat. The IRGC Aerospace Force commander clarified that Masoud Pezeshkian is not just 'the president of 16 million voters' but 'today he is the president of 85 million people,' and 'all the nation and officials' should assist him in 'implementing the country's extensive programs.' The presidential election was held following the death of Ebrahim Raisi, the former president, and his entourage in a helicopter crash a year earlier, with five candidates affiliated with the conservative spectrum and Masoud Pezeshkian, a candidate close to the reformists, participating, all approved by the Guardian Council. In the first round of the elections, Masoud Pezeshkian was declared the winner with over 10 million votes, and Saeed Jalili with over 9 million votes advanced to the second round. In the second round, Mr. Pezeshkian was introduced as the new president of Iran. According to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the presidential decree must be ratified by the Supreme Leader, and this ceremony is scheduled to take place on July 29. Mr. Pezeshkian's swearing-in ceremony will also be held in the Islamic Consultative Assembly on August 6. Elections in Iran are held far from global standards, and the Guardian Council, whose members are appointed directly and indirectly by the Supreme Leader, only approves a limited number of candidates. This council, whose secretary is the 97-year-old Ahmad Jannati, has disqualified many candidates, including high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic, in various elections. Meanwhile, the 'elected president' attended a ceremony on Thursday to 'appreciate' the members of his campaign teams in Tehran province, stating, 'Position, rank, and status hold no privilege for me, and I still believe in what I believe. However, the heavy burden that you and our people have placed on our shoulders weighs heavily.' Reports indicate that during this ceremony, the slogan 'Ya Hussein, Mir Hossein' was chanted, which was also heard in a live broadcast from the state news network. This slogan, which was chanted during the 2009 presidential election and the protests that followed in support of Mir Hossein Mousavi, was also heard in some of Pezeshkian's campaign rallies during the election. Mir Hossein Mousavi, Zahra Rahnavard, and Mehdi Karroubi, leaders of the protests following the 2009 election, have been under house arrest for years. Mr. Mousavi and Ms. Rahnavard did not vote in the two recent elections and did not support any candidate.