IRGC Insists on Legality of Construction at Vali Asr Barracks

According to the legal and parliamentary affairs deputy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), details regarding the "legality" of this organization's actions concerning construction at "Sepah Square" will soon be presented to the members of the Tehran City Council. Mohammad Reza Yazdi, the legal and parliamentary affairs deputy of the IRGC, announced on Friday, July 26, in an interview with the House of Nation news agency that this military organization will provide a comprehensive report on the construction at Sepah Square and the legality of its actions to the Parliament and the Tehran City Council next week. Yazdi also referred to a recent meeting between the IRGC and the Tehran judicial organization prosecutor, stating, "In this meeting, it was communicated that the IRGC has not committed any violations, and the prosecutor also sent a letter to the judiciary officials to confirm the legal process of the IRGC's construction activities." These statements come after the IRGC commander issued an order for the "immediate reduction" of floors in the construction project at Vali Asr Barracks, adjacent to the historical "Ishratabad" building, on Wednesday, July 24. Yazdi also responded to Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf's Instagram message regarding the halt of construction at Vali Asr Barracks as ordered by Commander Jafari, saying, "By Commander Jafari's order, it has been decided to reduce the number of floors of this structure that were not included in the IRGC's initial request to the Tehran Municipality, and the extent of the reduction will be announced later." Qalibaf criticized the lack of following "legal procedures" for the construction project on his Instagram page on July 20, stating, "If I were in the place of these friends and former comrades, I would not only prevent the construction of this gigantic structure but would also open a way for all people to visit the historical Kolah Farangi building." The construction project at the IRGC's Vali Asr Barracks, located near the historical Kolah Farangi Ishratabad building, which reportedly has a metal skeleton rising up to 14 floors, has been a topic of discussion between the Tehran Municipality and the Cultural Heritage Organization on one side and the IRGC on the other for the past few months. Ultimately, the Tehran Municipality filed a complaint with the military prosecutor's office, and officials from the Cultural Heritage Organization announced that the military prosecutor's office had ordered the halt of this project. However, Mohammad Reza Yazdi, the legal deputy of the IRGC, stated on Tuesday, July 15, that halting or amending this project "requires" an order from the General Staff of the Armed Forces.