Deputy of the Representative of the Supreme Leader in the IRGC: Rouhani's Key is in a Broken Lock

The deputy of the representative of the Supreme Leader in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that President Hassan Rouhani's key is "in a broken lock." He expressed concern that the recent cabinet reshuffle, which includes changes to several ministers, has at least raised "suspicions of electoral tactics" and hopes that this move is not merely for "flattery and smiling at the people." Abdullah Hajizadeh-Sadeqi made these remarks in response to questions from Fars News Agency regarding the main motivation behind the changes in the ministers of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Education, and Sports and Youth. While he acknowledged that changing ministers is the President's "legal right," he added that "claiming the government is seeking to arrange and strategize for itself raises this suspicion, especially since there were more pressing situations in the past when changes were expected but did not occur." Hajizadeh-Sadeqi criticized the performance of the Ministry of Culture during Ali Jannati's tenure and questioned whether the removal and resignation of this minister at this juncture is truly for the service of the country's culture. He noted that the most significant issue facing the country and the people's concern today is economic matters, describing the change of Mahmoud Goudarzi, the former Minister of Sports and Youth, as more of a "surprise" and asked, "What role does changing a sports minister play in solving the problems of the youth?" He expressed hope that his interpretation of the ministers' changes being politically motivated is "incorrect" and that this reshuffling does not continue the trend of merely addressing discourse. Hajizadeh-Sadeqi emphasized that the government should focus on individuals who believe in serving the people and adhere to the values and policies of the system. Following the mentioned ministerial changes, conservative media coordinatedly published critical positions regarding these changes, labeling Rouhani's actions as "populist" and "electoral." In another part of his remarks, Hajizadeh-Sadeqi described Rouhani's government's "prescriptions" for solving Iran's economic problems as flawed but expressed optimism about Rouhani and his cabinet's willingness to address these issues. He criticized the government for not pursuing the "correct solution" to economic problems and questioned whether these issues could be resolved through negotiations and reliance on foreign powers. He stated that the problem lies in the government's approach, asserting that while the government wants to solve the issues, it does not know how to do so. He concluded that Rouhani's key did not unlock the lock, stating that a key that relies on the assistance of Americans, the United Nations, and negotiations with the world is unturnable. He lamented that they thought this key should be turned by others or with their help, while it actually broke in the lock and caused damage. Rouhani's administration has faced criticism from hardliners in Iran for its attempts to establish relations with the West and has been subjected to comprehensive attacks following Ali Khamenei's criticism of the lack of visible effects of the JCPOA agreement in people's lives, which he attributed to what he called "disregard for resistant economy."