Iran's Leader: Iraq and Syria Were a Prelude to Grounding Iran

The leader of the Islamic Republic once again accused Western countries of creating the Islamic State group (ISIS) to 'counter' the Islamic Republic, stating that 'Iraq and Syria were a prelude to ground Iran, but the power of the Islamic Republic grounded them right there.' According to the website of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, he said on Saturday, July 5, that the 'design of Takfiri terrorist groups' like ISIS is an example of 'violent methods to confront' the Islamic Republic. He added, 'They created ISIS to defeat the Islamic Republic; Iraq and Syria were a prelude to ground Iran, but the power of the Islamic Republic grounded them right there.' Khamenei has previously accused Western countries, including the United States and Britain, of creating the group known as 'Islamic State' or ISIS to counter Iran's power. Iran has also repeatedly accused Saudi Arabia and Turkey of supporting the group known as 'Islamic State' and has called the coalition fighting this group, led by the United States and involving some regional countries, 'false.' In another part of his speech, the leader of the Islamic Republic described defending the 'sanctity of the Ahl al-Bayt' as 'defending the community and cities of Iran.' He added, 'This is one of the strange events and wonders of history that young people from Iran and other countries, with strong faith and motivation, give up their young wives, small children, and comfortable lives to struggle in a foreign country for the sake of God and attain martyrdom in this path.' Government and military officials of the Islamic Republic have previously stated that one of the reasons for Iran's military presence in Syria and Iraq is 'to defend Iran's security.' For instance, Mahmoud Alavi, Iran's Minister of Intelligence, claimed in an interview with Al-Mayadeen TV in Lebanon on Saturday, April 23, that 'if Iran had not confronted terrorists in Syria and Iraq, we would have had to fight them in the western provinces of the country.' Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran, also emphasized last October that Iran's security is not limited to its borders and 'to ensure Iran's security, we must be present in Syria.' Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, also stated in January 2015 during the funeral of Hamid Taghavi, a slain commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iraq, that 'if the Taghavis do not shed blood in Samarra, we will have to shed blood in Sistan, Azerbaijan, Shiraz, and Isfahan.' In another part of his speech, the leader of the Islamic Republic stated that the issue of Bahrain is 'not a Shia and Sunni issue, but the essence of the matter is the tyrannical rule of a selfish minority over a large majority.' Khamenei considered the 'attack' of the Bahraini government on Sheikh Isa Qasim, a prominent Shia cleric, as a sign of the 'foolishness' of the government of that country. He emphasized that Sheikh Isa Qasim prevented opponents of the government from 'extreme and armed movements,' and 'attacking him' means removing the barrier in front of 'the epic and passionate youth of Bahrain' to take any action against the government. The Bahraini government has accused Sheikh Isa Qasim of 'encouraging sectarianism and violence' and has stripped him of his citizenship. This action has also provoked reactions in Iran, including Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, issuing a rare and strongly worded statement warning the Bahraini government about the consequences of stripping the citizenship of the leader of Shia in that country. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, has also described the political situation in Bahrain as 'regrettable and dangerous.' The United States and France have also expressed concern over the news of the stripping of citizenship from the Bahraini Shia leader. The United Nations has also expressed concern over recent developments in Bahrain, lamenting that the Bahraini government has chosen to restrict political and civil freedoms instead of listening to an independent commission of inquiry established by the government itself in 2011.