Commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters of the IRGC: I Have Strong Complaints Against Hassan Rouhani

Abdollah Abdollahi, the commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters of the IRGC, expressed strong complaints against Hassan Rouhani during a television program on Thursday, stating that officials create doubts about the economic activities of the IRGC. In an interview with the special news dialogue program on Channel Two, he questioned, 'Is it appropriate for the government to be discussed with or without a gun?' He further added, 'It is not appropriate for a group that works with all its might and power under severe sanctions to be pressured.' In recent weeks, verbal tensions have escalated between the president of the eleventh government and the commanders of the IRGC regarding the involvement of this institution in economic affairs. On July 1, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, implicitly criticized the activities of the IRGC, stating that part of Iran's economy is in the hands of a 'government' that 'has both guns and media' and 'no one dares to compete with them.' These remarks by Hassan Rouhani have provoked widespread reactions from IRGC officials and the judiciary. Meanwhile, Abdollah Abdollahi stated, 'I have strong complaints against Mr. Rouhani; a government that does not have a gun is humiliated and degraded.' Criticizing the eleventh government's approach to attracting foreign investment, the commander said, 'Officials say foreigners should come and invest, while the IRGC has repeatedly declared its readiness to provide financial support as well.' Abdollah Abdollahi added, 'The Ministry of Oil has said it wants to go towards bidding, but the transfer of Phase 11 to Total was done without bidding procedures.' This IRGC official emphasized, 'They say Total must use domestic companies in the contract, but we should never question our dignity and become a second-rate contractor while we have the capability.' The French company Total and Iran signed a 20-year contract for the development of Phase 11 of South Pars on Tuesday, July 2. The commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters added that those who say the IRGC competes with the private sector are either ignorant or biased. He further stated, 'The private sector does not have the capacity to carry out the works that the IRGC does.' Economic experts believe that the political, media, economic, and military activities of the IRGC have become one of the obstacles to realizing the economic slogans of Hassan Rouhani's government. These experts emphasize that the expansion of the IRGC means the elimination of competition in the market for goods and services, 'discrimination in the distribution of job opportunities and economic resources, and the dominance of a small group over the fate of Iranian society.'