IRGC Official Accuses Motahari of 'Playing for the Enemy' and 'Media Manipulation'

In response to remarks by Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, regarding efforts by some in the government to prevent the implementation of the JCPOA through missile launches, the political deputy of the IRGC labeled these statements as 'contrary to national security', 'beyond the decorum of representation', 'playing in the enemy's field', and 'media manipulation for potential exploitation by enemies'. On Wednesday, January 29, Rasoul Sanaei Rad, the IRGC deputy, stated in an interview with Fars News Agency that 'the schedule of missile maneuvers has nothing to do with political issues' and that, according to the Iranian nuclear negotiation team, the Islamic Republic's missile program is unrelated to the Vienna nuclear agreement. He added: 'Lack of sufficient knowledge and depth regarding security and political issues sometimes leads some individuals to play in the enemy's field.' Sanaei Rad emphasized that 'the emergence of such topics from some simple-minded individuals could be a form of media manipulation for potential exploitation by enemies in the future, and such trivial positions, if not treasonous, stem from naivety and a failure to see the depth of security and political issues.' He also described these statements as 'in clear contradiction with national security and an unintentional and unaware alignment with the enemy in the scenario of national power erosion', urging the Speaker and the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Parliament to 'stop' such expressions. Sanaei Rad stressed that these remarks are 'political, electoral' and are made to 'justify the failures' of the Vienna nuclear agreement. Ramadan Sharif, the IRGC spokesman, also labeled Motahari's statements as 'offensive', 'ill-considered', and 'echoing the voice of enemies'. On January 25, Motahari stated in an interview with Asr Iran that 'extremist actions' such as 'attempting to prevent the JCPOA through missile launches', 'provoking the enemy to impose economic sanctions', 'creating human rights pretexts for the enemy', and 'labeling every protester as a seditionist' have harmed the Islamic Republic. To clarify his viewpoint, Motahari announced on Wednesday that his comments do not deny the necessity of strengthening Iran's missile industries, but 'timely displays of power' are important. He added: 'If we are going through a difficult phase in the first months of implementing the JCPOA, we should postpone this display of power with that phrase inscribed on the missile, just as in previous years it would have been better to address the Holocaust issue, which we believe has been exaggerated for the purpose of occupying Palestine, in a different manner and in its own place.' Motahari also criticized the airing of a film of American sailors on Iranian television while they were 'defeated', stating: 'In dealing with the enemies of the Islamic Revolution, primarily the U.S. and Israel, we must be timely, calculated, and prudent, and maintain chivalry and honor.' The IRGC Navy detained ten American sailors on January 22 last year in Iranian territorial waters in the Persian Gulf between Kuwait and Bahrain. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, praised the forces that captured these sailors, calling the action 'timely'. Public criticism from government and parliamentary officials regarding Iran's missile programs is rare. In April, a tweet attributed to Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former head of the Expediency Discernment Council, also made headlines in this context. In the tweet, published after a series of Iranian missile tests, it stated that 'the world of tomorrow is a world of discourses, not missiles.' This tweet faced explicit criticism from the leader of the Islamic Republic, who stated on April 11 that these remarks 'if made out of ignorance, are ignorance; but if made knowingly, are treason'. Following these remarks, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani described the statement attributed to him as 'fundamentally false', claiming that his comment was from seven years ago. UN Security Council Resolution 2231, while endorsing the JCPOA, calls on Iran to 'refrain from any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads for eight years from the first day of the implementation of the JCPOA, including the use of technology related to these missiles'. However, this resolution does not prohibit Iranian missile tests and does not provide for punitive measures. Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, previously requested that the Security Council ask Iran to refrain from testing ballistic missiles, as he believes such tests have the potential to increase tensions in the region. However, Iran claims that its missile tests do not violate Security Council Resolution 2231 or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The Iranian Parliament also approved plans on January 20 during the review of the sixth development plan that, if confirmed by the Guardian Council, will require the government to take action in the area of 'developing and increasing missile production capacity'. Some officials of the Islamic Republic, including Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council, have declared the purpose of Iran's missile program as 'deterrence', stating that 'the greater the range of our missiles, the less likely war becomes'. However, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force, stated on September 28 that the Islamic Republic's goal in producing missiles is to target Israel, and therefore there is no need for missiles with a range of more than two thousand kilometers.