Commander of the IRGC: The threat of enemy influence is felt more than ever

The Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has pointed to issues such as the "unified pressures" against the Islamic Republic and the "proximity of the enemy," stating that "the danger of the enemy's long-standing conspiracies against the Islamic Revolution is felt more than ever." According to Tasnim News Agency, Mohammad Ali Jafari emphasized on Saturday, September 17, during the 22nd General Assembly of IRGC commanders and officials that, from the perspective of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, "standing firm and resisting and not yielding to the enemy is considered the concept of the great jihad." Jafari noted that the "complete, unified, and comprehensive" pressures and conspiracies of the enemies in various dimensions and fields, the "proximity of the enemy" to Iran more than ever, and the "possibility of creating instability in determination and will to stand against the enemy" are among the reasons that have led to the topic of "great jihad" being raised by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. Jafari's remarks come after he stated on March 4 last year that the main threat facing the Islamic Revolution is "internal enemy factors" that are acting against the Revolution within the country. He had previously mentioned that "the enemy has turned to soft political and economic threats, and the response to these types of threats after the [nuclear] agreement is the adoption of more explicit revolutionary positions by the officials of the Islamic Republic." However, the IRGC commander has not provided further details about what he refers to as the "proximity of the enemy" and the "unified and comprehensive pressures" against the Islamic Republic. Following the presence of U.S. military forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, Iranian officials have spoken of the "proximity of the enemy" to Iran's borders. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic's policies in the region, including in Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain, have increased tensions between Iran and the Arab Gulf countries, particularly Saudi Arabia. According to some experts, the regional rivalry between Iran and Saudi Arabia encompasses various aspects, including differing policies in the oil market and has turned into a proxy war between the two countries in the context of the Yemen and Syria conflicts. After the presence of Turki al-Faisal, the former head of Saudi intelligence, at a gathering of supporters of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization in Paris, several high-ranking Iranian officials, including Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, accused Saudi Arabia of attempting to create insecurity in southeastern Iran and "sending weapons" and supporting "terrorist groups" in the region. Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces also named the U.S., the U.K., and what he referred to as "regional puppets" like Saudi Arabia as the "enemies" of the Islamic Revolution during the IRGC commanders' meeting. Mohammad Hossein Baqeri added, "The enemy sometimes pursues its goals through some who superficially present themselves as friends; possessing revolutionary insight and evaluating with revolutionary criteria is the way to recognize the enemy." Baqeri further stated, "The enemy today seeks to infiltrate the beliefs and minds of our officials and managers; if it can create instability in the minds of the elites and jeopardize their revolutionary approach, it has achieved its goals." Hossein Salami, the deputy commander of the IRGC, also stated in similar remarks at this meeting that "in the cultural aspect, the enemy seeks to erase the identity of Islam by replacing it with a global identity." After the Vienna nuclear agreement, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic has repeatedly warned about America's attempts to, as he puts it, "politically and culturally infiltrate" and also "infiltrate decision-making centers" in Iran.