Hezbollah Revives; Hashemi and Khatami Threatened with Assassination

The explicit speeches of Ali Khamenei in April criticizing Hassan Rouhani and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, along with threats and warnings from IRGC commanders, judicial officials, and Hezbollah forces against these two, have made the tensions and divisions within the Islamic Republic more apparent. In one of the latest tensions, Mehdi Abdi, the deputy for provincial affairs of the Hezbollah Coordination Council in the northwest, has threatened to assassinate Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami. In an interview with the 'Hezbollah Press' website, Abdi explicitly warned that if these two or anyone else tries to 'tighten the space around Imam Khamenei' and pursue the 'Leadership Council' plan, 'Hezbollah will blind the eye of sedition forever by launching the Fadaiyan of the Revolution and Islam through popular punishment committees.' The term 'punishment committee' seems to be borrowed from an association of the same name that assassinated individuals suspected of foreign allegiance during the Qajar era; it may also relate to the organization of the Fadaiyan Islam led by Mojtaba Navab Safavi, which carried out several assassinations during the Pahlavi era. This senior Hezbollah member implicitly warned Hassan Rouhani about facing the fate of Abolhassan Banisadr, stating that 'one must learn from the fate of Banisadr and Montazeri, who suffered eternal humiliation and disgrace by deviating from the line of guardianship.' Khamenei's harsh positions in April have led to a new wave of attacks from conservative media, institutions, and political factions against Rouhani's government, which are trying to pressure the government into implementing the 'resistance economy' plan and reconsidering foreign policy. Following Khamenei's recent speeches in the new year, four contentious issues between him and Rouhani and Hashemi have become clearer: the implementation of the 'resistance economy' plan, 'delays in lifting international sanctions,' 'stopping Iran's missile program,' and lifting the house arrest of Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. The Supreme Leader criticized the eleventh government for neglecting the implementation of this plan after naming 1395 as the year of 'resistance economy, action, and work.' On April 11, he also referred to another disagreement with Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani regarding missile activities and implicitly accused him of 'treason.' Eleven days after this speech, the Supreme Leader met and praised a group of senior military commanders for their actions and plans. The conservative faction's attacks on the government intensified with the publication of a letter from Mehdi Karroubi to Hassan Rouhani requesting a public trial and attacking Ali Khamenei, leading to a controversial note published in the 'Javan' newspaper. This newspaper, affiliated with the IRGC, wrote in response to Karroubi's letter that if he had taken such actions during the 'golden era of Imam Khomeini,' which he is interested in returning to, he would have been 'hanged' with a few words of command from Ruhollah Khomeini. This note generated significant reactions in the Persian-speaking virtual space, indirectly confirming and defending the widespread violence and executions during Khomeini's leadership. Following this, Mehdi Abdi, the deputy for provincial affairs of the Hezbollah Coordination Council in the northwest, warned Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami about the formation of 'punishment committees.' This Hezbollah member also stated regarding Karroubi and Mousavi that 'they should be happy that they are under house arrest; otherwise, Hezbollah would not have allowed them to breathe.' The signing of the 'JCPOA,' the absolute defeat of conservatives in the elections of Esfand 7 last year in the Tehran constituency, the significant victory of reformist candidates in various cities in Iran, and the removal of some influential figures of Ali Khamenei in the Assembly of Experts elections are among the developments criticized by Hezbollah in recent months. Hezbollah forces and some conservatives have assessed the 'JCPOA' as a forced agreement on Ali Khamenei, similar to the treaties of 'Turkmenchay' and 'Golestan.' After their failure in the Esfand elections in the Tehran constituency, they have also likened the people of Tehran to the people of 'Kufa' in their speeches and online activities, cursing and condemning voters of the 'Hope' list. The Hezbollah faction has faced repercussions over the past two years due to attacks on the Saudi embassy and consulate in Tehran and Mashhad, an attack on Ali Motahari in Shiraz, and the actions of their main publication, 'Yal-Tharath al-Hussein,' which have intensified their positions against Rouhani's government and other critics of government policies. Despite holding some gatherings in various cities in Iran to oppose concerts or speeches by reformist activists, Hezbollah has failed to hold other protest gatherings due to opposition from provincial security councils. Ali Khamenei has repeatedly criticized those who, according to him, label 'revolutionary forces' as 'extremists' and has defended their actions in many cases. With Khamenei's positions becoming harsher in April this year, a new round of Hezbollah's activities has begun with open and clear threats against the government and many critics of the current situation.