IRGC Commander: Some Officials Are Out of Sync with Leader's Views

Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran, stated on Tuesday that some officials in the Islamic Republic are 'out of sync' with the leader's views, and the 'optimism' of some towards the West is 'concerning.' According to the news agency 'Daneshjoo,' Jafari accused these officials of looking 'outside' the country to solve national problems. He said, 'Naivety and optimism towards America are worrying,' adding, 'You do not see anyone who is a Muslim and relies on the Americans.' The state news agency IRIB also reported Jafari's remarks, quoting him as saying, 'Unfortunately, some officials look outside to solve the country's problems, which is very concerning and a source of worry.' The official website of the IRGC, 'Sepah News,' also reported that Jafari made these comments in relation to the 'JCPOA' agreement and the 'danger of political, economic, and cultural infiltration after the JCPOA.' Meanwhile, according to Fars news agency, the IRGC commander announced at the ceremony that 'cultural and political infiltration exists in the country after the JCPOA, which some officials do not pay attention to.' As reported by this news agency, the IRGC commander also stated that according to Ali Khamenei, 'We have entered the stage of great jihad, and not obeying the enemies is the most important issue in great jihad, and it is saying no to the enemy.' Although the IRGC commander did not mention any specific individual or faction, it seems he was referring to Hassan Rouhani and a group of officials from the eleventh government who have been consistently criticized by conservatives over the past three years. Ali Saidi, the representative of the Supreme Leader in the IRGC, also stated the day before that 'today we are faced with a government that has divergence and challenges with some issues of the principles and foundations of Imam and the leadership.' According to Saidi, 'The government [of Hassan Rouhani] says we must establish relations with America, which is not compatible with the principles and foundations that religion has determined for us.' The representative of Ayatollah Khamenei in the IRGC also criticized the economic policies of the eleventh government, saying, 'The gentlemen are pursuing a free economy' and believe 'there is a paradox between religiosity and the global community.' These statements by Jafari and Saidi represent one of the clearest positions and criticisms against Hassan Rouhani and the eleventh government in the past three years by the IRGC commander and the representative of Ayatollah Khamenei in this military institution. A significant number of supporters of Ali Khamenei, especially last year, have repeatedly criticized the Iranian president and his government, particularly regarding its foreign policy in relation to the United States, the West, and Saudi Arabia. The IRGC commander also stated that this military force has information indicating that 'some regional countries and the treacherous Al Saud are collaborating to harm Iran.' He added, 'They are planning to create insecurity in Iran, and we see that today the security of Sistan and Baluchestan and Kurdistan is similar to the security of Tehran, and we must appreciate this great blessing.'