Defense Minister Nominee's Plans: Increasing Missile Power and Supporting Quds Force

Amir Hatami, the proposed defense minister by Hassan Rouhani, announced on Thursday, August 17, plans to increase ballistic and cruise missiles as well as support for the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). During the parliamentary session on Thursday, both opponents and supporters of the proposed ministers of agriculture, justice, and defense spoke, and these ministers defended themselves. Notably, no representative spoke against the proposed defense minister. Amir Hatami stated that increasing missile power in ballistic, cruise, and air defense areas is among his plans, and he identified 'expensive military contracts and turning the region into a warehouse of weapons and ammunition' and 'Iran's low defense budget' compared to regional countries as challenges for the Ministry of Defense. The proposed defense minister's plans were announced while the U.S. government had previously emphasized that Iran's missile program and the activities of the Quds Force violate the spirit of the nuclear agreement, as Iran was supposed to participate in creating peace and stability in the region and globally under this agreement. In this context, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has repeatedly stated that in his view, Iran is not adhering to the 'spirit of the nuclear agreement.' Previously, on June 15, the U.S. Senate passed a plan known as 'Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities' with a decisive majority. This plan referred to Iran's ballistic missile program as a threat. After review in the House of Representatives and Senate, and the addition of new restrictions against Russia and North Korea, this plan became part of a comprehensive sanctions law against Iran, Russia, and North Korea, imposing mandatory sanctions on any individual and entity related to Iran's ballistic missile program and also on trading partners with this program. In response, the Iranian parliament, in a public session on August 13, approved the details of a plan known as 'Countering U.S. Adventurous and Terrorist Actions' in retaliation for U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran with 240 votes from 247 present representatives. The proposed defense minister, referring to the new sanctions passed in the U.S. against Iran, stated, 'We will continue our support for the resistance front and its essential component, the Quds Force of the IRGC and General Soleimani.' Meanwhile, Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh, a representative from Mashhad in the parliament, announced that the Iranian Ministry of Defense supplies military equipment for the 'resistance axis.' Iranian officials refer to groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, armed Palestinian groups, and the Bashar al-Assad government as the 'resistance axis.' In this context, the Israeli Defense Minister had previously reported the establishment of 'secret weapons production factories for Hezbollah' in Lebanon with the help of the IRGC. On Tuesday, August 15, an Israeli television network reported on the construction of a missile factory by Iran in northwestern Syria, including 'satellite images of the factory's location.' In previous periods, the defense minister was usually selected from senior commanders of the IRGC, but Hassan Rouhani's proposed defense minister is a senior commander of the army. Alireza Avaei, Hassan Rouhani's proposed justice minister, also stated in the parliamentary session on Thursday that he would work to 'organize' disputes between the branches of government. According to him, in addition to the powers of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, the Ministry of Justice also has the duty to resolve disputes between the branches, and 'if this mechanism is properly established, not only will friction decrease, but it will also enhance the capabilities of the Islamic Republic.' Alireza Avaei has been introduced for this position under circumstances where, according to reports, he has worked in various positions since the revolution, including as the prosecutor of Dezful and Ahvaz. He later held the presidency of the judiciary in four provinces, including Lorestan, Markazi, Isfahan, and Tehran, and in 2014, he was also a judge of the Supreme Court. He was in charge of the judiciary in Tehran during the protests against the results of the 2009 presidential elections and, along with more than 30 other officials of the Islamic Republic, was included in a list banned from entry by the European Union in October 2011 due to involvement in human rights violations, illegal detention, failure to observe prisoners' rights, and increasing executions. In the session to vote for confidence in the proposed agriculture minister, opposing representatives raised issues from their electoral districts. Mahmoud Hojjati also stated that increasing food security, developing productivity, and reducing water consumption in the agricultural sector have been 'well pursued' over the past four years. He also announced that food imports have decreased over the past four years and that 90% of the food and agricultural products needed are produced domestically in Iran. His statements come at a time when many experts have said that some of the so-called 'self-sufficiency' agricultural plans have led to the depletion of Iran's water resources. His comments regarding the reduction of water consumption in the agricultural sector come while, according to statistics, over 80% of water consumption in Iran has historically been related to the agricultural sector. Additionally, according to statistics from organizations such as the National Irrigation and Drainage Committee, the irrigation efficiency in Iran is about 35%, which is lower than that of neighboring countries. Based on these statistics, the average irrigation efficiency in Turkey is 40% and in a country like Libya, it is 60%. Meanwhile, the next session for the vote of confidence in the proposed ministers of Hassan Rouhani's government is scheduled for next Sunday.