Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: We Seek to Consolidate Victories

Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), announced on Thursday, December 14, during a speech that efforts are underway to "consolidate the victories of the resistance front" and stated that "we will soon witness a victory in Yemen." Iranian officials refer to allied groups and countries in the Middle East, including Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, as the "resistance front." According to Fars News Agency, the IRGC commander described the "victories of the resistance front" as "astonishing and consecutive." This senior Iranian military official's remarks refer to the end of the battle with the Islamic State group, ISIS, which was initially declared in Iraq and recently in Syria. Jafari further commented on the situation in Yemen, saying, "God willing, we will soon witness a victory in Yemen," and added that "today we must seek to consolidate these victories." Earlier in December, the IRGC commander had also stated that "in Yemen, if there is a need for assistance from the people and the independent government of that country, such assistance will definitely be provided by Iran." Following this statement, the newspaper Jahane San'at titled its article "The General's Admission," describing Jafari's remarks about providing "advisory assistance to Ansarullah in Yemen" as "officially recognizing Iran's advisory presence in Yemen for the first time." However, Jafari's comments on Thursday came just hours before the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations was set to present "irrefutable evidence" of Iran's actions in the region, including allegations of military assistance to the Houthis. Iran's expanding influence in the region has raised concerns among various countries, prompting French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to accuse the Islamic Republic of "regional ambitions" and stating that Paris cannot accept Iran extending its military influence to the Mediterranean Sea. Jafari also made remarks regarding domestic issues, seemingly hinting at President Hassan Rouhani's government. He initially noted that there have been "good advancements in defense and security" within the country and that they have overcome "security and defense threats." He then identified the country's problems in other areas such as "economic, social, and political" issues. Jafari continued, stating, "Our main problem in the country is that managers pay attention to the satisfaction of others, especially when they need votes, and prioritize the satisfaction of others even if it contradicts God's satisfaction." In recent months, relations between Rouhani's government and the IRGC have experienced ups and downs. Earlier in July, Rouhani criticized the presence of military institutions in Iran's economy, saying, "Part of the economy was in the hands of a gunless government, which we handed over to a government with guns." This statement provoked a strong reaction from a range of IRGC officials who accused the president of attempting to weaken the IRGC.