Armed Forces General Staff: Candidates Should Avoid Military Engagements

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran has requested six candidates for the twelfth presidential election to refrain from "entering military and defense areas that are beyond the powers of the presidency." This news was shared on Tuesday, April 12, by Masoud Jazayeri, the senior spokesperson for the armed forces, who stated that this request has also been sent in writing to the presidential election organizing committee. Jazayeri added that the focus of this request is to monitor the electoral activities of candidates and the media regarding military and defense issues by the election organizing committee. He further stated that the General Staff of the Armed Forces has called for candidates to consider "national interests and the security of the country" in their statements and promotional activities in the military and defense domain. This military official also mentioned that candidates should avoid "non-specialized interference" in military matters and outside the "powers of the presidency" as another request from the General Staff of the Armed Forces. Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran and a candidate for the twelfth presidential election, is among those who have stated in their campaign speeches that the signing of the "JCPOA" by the eleventh government prevented war against Iran. On April 9 of this year, Rouhani also mentioned in a speech in Yazd that "the people must... determine on April 29, the day of the presidential election, whether they want the dignity of the country or the ominous shadow of war." In response to Rouhani's statements, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, warned on Sunday, April 10, that "what has removed the shadow of war and the enemy from the country over these years has been the presence of the people." Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Aerospace Force of the Revolutionary Guards, also stated in this context that "the claim that the JCPOA removed the shadow of war is a lie, and what has prevented war is Iran's defensive progress." The day before, Sadegh Larijani, the head of the judiciary, reacted to Rouhani's statements, saying that "the belief that some think negotiations related to the JCPOA and non-JCPOA have removed the shadow of war from the country is a misconception." Larijani added: "What removes the shadow of war from the country is the power of the Islamic Republic with the presence of the people in the scene and the relentless efforts of the armed forces such as the IRGC and Basij." Ebrahim Raisi, a candidate for the twelfth presidential election, also responded to Rouhani's statements on Tuesday in Hamadan, saying that "the presence of the pious and insightful people has removed the shadow of war from us." Khamenei and some officials of the Islamic Republic have reacted to Rouhani's comments at a time when reports indicate a judicial case has been opened against Gholamhossein Karbaschi following his criticism of Iran's regional policy. Karbaschi had recently criticized in a speech at Rouhani's campaign in Isfahan that "unaccountable agencies" have engaged in war in Iraq and Syria under the pretext of "defending the shrine." In response to these remarks, it was reported on Tuesday, April 12, that the judiciary of Isfahan province has opened a case against Gholamhossein Karbaschi for "insulting the martyrs of the shrine defenders."