Baqeri Warns of 'Great Risk' for US Bases in the Region

The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic criticized the new US sanctions against Iran on Tuesday, July 16, warning that 'equating the IRGC with terrorist groups and imposing similar sanctions poses a great risk for Americans and their bases and forces in the region.' According to the state news agency IRNA, Mohammad Baqeri, speaking at a conference of the commanders of the IRGC Ground Forces in Mashhad, also added that 'the missile power of the Islamic Republic of Iran is defensive and is never negotiable at any level.' The US Senate voted overwhelmingly on Thursday, June 15, in favor of a new sanctions bill against the Islamic Republic of Iran, known as the 'Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act.' This bill imposes mandatory sanctions on any individual or entity associated with Iran's ballistic missile program as well as its commercial partners. After being passed by the House of Representatives and signed by the US President, it will become law. Baqeri characterized the ongoing legislative efforts in the US to impose new sanctions against Iran, particularly the IRGC, as 'one of the American miscalculations regarding the Islamic Republic.' The emphasis by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces on the 'defensive' nature of Iran's missile program comes as Yahya Rahim Safavi, a military advisor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced on July 23 that Hezbollah in Lebanon, an Iran-backed group, is ready to fire missiles at Israel. Images released from missiles within Iran also show slogans such as 'Israel must be wiped off the map' and 'Death to Israel' in both Persian and Hebrew, actions that have even drawn criticism from the Iranian President. Hassan Rouhani stated during the recent presidential elections, 'Some came and showed images of underground cities to undermine the JCPOA, wrote slogans on missiles to undermine the JCPOA, but our people have overcome all of this.' Iranian military forces continue to spend heavily on developing their missile program; a German intelligence agency recently reported that Iran is targeting German companies to advance its missile program and has sought assistance from a Chinese company, which could violate the nuclear agreement. Regarding the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan, Baqeri questioned, 'With the defeat of ISIS in Iraq and the 'victory of the army and popular mobilization forces of this country,' the immediate talk of a referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan and the separation of part of Iraq does not seem normal.' Baqeri's remarks refer to the defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS) in the battle of Mosul in northern Iraq and the planned referendum for independence in Iraqi Kurdistan set for September 25. The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran deemed the issue of holding a referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan as 'the beginning of new problems and challenges in this region' and emphasized, 'This issue is by no means acceptable to Iraq's neighbors, and maintaining Iraq's independence and integrity is in the interest of all ethnicities, religions, and various sections of this land.' Previously, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic and several other Iranian officials had opposed holding a referendum in northern Iraq. In the concluding parts of his remarks, Baqeri criticized some regional governments that are considered political rivals of Iran, accusing their leaders of 'foolishness and treachery' and labeling their governments as 'unpopular and tyrannical.'