IRGC Commander: The Main Danger Comes from Domestic Enemy Agents

Mohammad Ali Jafari, the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), stated on Thursday, March 4, that the main danger facing the Islamic Revolution of Iran comes from 'internal enemy agents' who are acting against the revolution within the country. According to the Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, the IRGC commander referred to 'the opposition of some individuals to the Guardianship of the Jurist' and added, 'These individuals do not believe in the continuity of the Islamic Revolution, while the very essence of the revolution is based on the principle of the Guardianship of the Jurist and leadership.' He did not name this group but mentioned that they are trying to confront the principle of the Guardianship of the Jurist. General Jafari elaborated on the background of this group, which he termed 'enemy elements,' stating, 'In the years 1997 to 1999, some believed that the progress and development of the Islamic Revolution should be halted, to the extent that we should not engage with other Muslims around the world who are being oppressed.' He identified this group as those who, according to him, 'had no familiarity with the essence of the Islamic Revolution and its religious and Quranic duties.' The time period referred to by Mr. Jafari corresponds to the first two years of Mohammad Khatami's presidency. In another part of his speech, he considered 'the protection of Islam and the achievements of the revolution as one of the important duties of the IRGC,' which he claimed has fulfilled this heavy duty well. He also asserted that the 'soft war' against the Iranian government has 'intensified' and that 'the enemy is trying to undermine the system through its infiltration.' This IRGC official then added, 'We must plan to confront the enemy with awareness, and our successes should be temporary, thematic, and gradual.' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has repeatedly accused 'the enemy,' mainly the United States, of plotting against Iran and the Islamic Revolution in his speeches. In recent months, following the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group, Ayatollah Khamenei has used the term 'infiltration' and warned against what he called the enemy's attempts to infiltrate Iran. Supporters and appointees of the Supreme Leader have also frequently used this term. Prior to the IRGC commander's remarks, the Fars news agency quoted Mohsen Rezaei, a former commander of this military force and the current secretary of the Expediency Council, claiming that the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has recently become 'responsible for infiltration in Iran' and 'visited Iran in June, identifying all universities in Iran.' The Tasnim news agency also reported that Mohsen Rezaei stated that the individual he referred to is 'one of the CIA agents' and that 'we will reveal many documents about him in the future.' The former IRGC commander did not mention the name of this 'CIA agent' and did not provide further details about him.