Ali Saidi: Some Clerics Have Fallen Victim to the Plague Affecting Soroush and Kadivar

Ali Saidi, the representative of Ali Khamenei in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, announced on Saturday that the 'plague' that has afflicted Abdolkarim Soroush and Mohsen Kadivar has also affected some clerics within the country. According to a report on Saturday, October 1, by the 'Entekhab' website, Mr. Saidi indirectly attacked Hassan Rouhani and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani while addressing a group of IRGC members in Isfahan. These attacks by the conservative cleric, like those of other government critics, were made without mentioning the names of Rouhani, Hashemi, or Mohammad Khatami. He stated that some clerics and politicians in the Islamic Republic, like Soroush and Kadivar, have experienced 'reversal,' 'deviation,' and 'mental regression.' Mr. Saidi also referred to some comments suggesting the 'abandonment' of military capabilities for economic progress, saying, 'What was able to eliminate the shadow of war was not the smiles of diplomats, but the roar of missiles.' Saidi, along with a broad spectrum of conservatives and supporters of Ali Khamenei, has repeatedly criticized the foreign policy of Hassan Rouhani's government towards the U.S. and the West over the past three years. They argue that the 'smiling diplomacy' of the eleventh government has failed to resolve Iran's issues and that the military power of the Islamic Republic is decisive in global equations. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani recently reacted to these positions, citing Germany and Japan, which are deprived of military forces, as two successful countries. However, Rafsanjani's remarks faced a harsh backlash from a group of IRGC commanders and clerics close to the Supreme Leader, leading to a new wave of attacks against the head of the Expediency Discernment Council and even Hassan Rouhani. Ali Saidi also mentioned those who are 'severely seeking a rent-seeking economy,' while emphasizing Ali Khamenei's insistence on implementing the 'resistance economy' plan. Saidi added that these individuals believe 'we cannot stand against the U.S.,' which indicates that they have 'problems with revolutionary fervor and standing against the U.S.' This conservative cleric also spoke of 'politicians' who, according to him, 'have distanced themselves from the principles of the revolution, which is clearly evident in their behavioral and operational models.' The representative of Khamenei in the IRGC further identified the 'strong desire for connection and ties with the U.S.' as one of the 'most dangerous' issues facing Iran today. He stated, 'Unfortunately, we are witnessing a creeping movement towards spending Iran's strategic depth by initiating JCPOA 2 and 3.' Saidi also discussed the 'influence' project, noting 'changes in the political outlook of officials, encroachment on the beliefs and cultural outlook of the people, and welcoming the Great Satan' as significant issues in this regard. He remarked, 'In the case of the Soviet collapse, changes in Khrushchev's calculations, changes in the people's beliefs, and changes in the parliament occurred until the Soviet Union collapsed.' These remarks are essentially a continuation of the insinuations and criticisms that conservatives have directed at Hassan Rouhani and the eleventh government over the past three years. They implicitly suggest that the minds and tongues of individuals like Rouhani and Hashemi Rafsanjani have been influenced by 'enemy propaganda,' leading them to 'miscalculations.' Just yesterday, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the first deputy of the judiciary, made similar indirect attacks against Rouhani and Hashemi Rafsanjani. Mr. Mohseni Ejei stated that the 'enemy' has been able to recruit from among the families of some individuals associated with the revolution and the 'aagha-zadeh' (children of influential figures) in Iran. According to the spokesman for the judiciary, these individuals 'say the revolution is over, and why does the leadership insist on constantly emphasizing the need to maintain a revolutionary spirit?'