Implicit Response from Iranian Military Official to Criticism of Presence in Neighboring Countries

On Wednesday, June 2, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic responded to criticisms regarding Tehran's presence in neighboring countries, describing this presence as being "at the invitation" of those governments. According to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), Mohammad Bagheri emphasized during his speech in the Islamic Consultative Assembly that Iran "does not wait for the smile and permission of any country" in developing its defensive capabilities. He stated that Iran's presence in any country is at the invitation of that country's legitimate government and that Iran has no intention of waging war with anyone. However, he did not specify which country he was referring to. The Islamic Republic has a clear military presence in Syria and Iraq and supports the Shia Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, support that has never been concealed. Bagheri's implicit response may be directed at Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, who recently intensified pressure on the Islamic Republic in his first speech in this position, announcing the imposition of the "harshest sanctions in history" against Tehran. The military official also mentioned that "this enemy, although it does not attempt military war, is exerting pressure on the great nation of Iran through economic warfare." On Monday, May 31, Pompeo outlined 12 conditions for reaching a new nuclear agreement with Iran, two of which pertain to Iran's military presence in neighboring countries. The U.S. Secretary of State has called on Iran to respect Iraq's "sovereignty rights" and emphasized that "Iran must withdraw all military forces under its command from Syria." Regarding the Syrian civil war, Russia may also be a target of Bagheri's remarks. Vladimir Putin stated last Thursday in Sochi during a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that foreign troops must leave Syria during the peace establishment phase. Following this stance, Alexander Lavrentiev, Putin's envoy for Syria, clarified that this warning also includes Iranian forces and Hezbollah. Earlier, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman had stated that the Islamic Republic's policies are independent and that no one can force Iran to do anything. However, Iran has recently faced a setback in Iraq: in the recent elections held in that country, Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his group outperformed others. Since al-Sadr has recently shifted towards Saudi Arabia, Iran's traditional rival in the region, some analysts interpreted his group's victory as a "reduction of the Islamic Republic's influence" in the country.