IRGC Spokesman: We Are Not Seeking Pressure on the Government for Special Privileges

The spokesman for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that this military institution does not hesitate to assist the Iranian government due to the efficiency of the regime and is not seeking any "special privileges." Ramadan Sharif, in an interview with ILNA news agency on Tuesday, November 7, outlined the IRGC's policies in the current context of Iran, including its stance in elections and its relations with various Iranian governments. According to him, "From the IRGC's perspective, helping the government is helping the efficiency of the system," and for this reason, the IRGC "has not and will not hesitate to assist the government, but the extent of this assistance depends on the demands of the governments." Sharif continued, "Governments may state issues due to elections or their political future that do not concern the IRGC, and the IRGC has patiently dealt with these matters. The IRGC has fixed principles in assisting governments that fall under the guidance of the Supreme Leader and fulfills its duties in this regard." In recent months, the relationship between President Hassan Rouhani's government and the IRGC has experienced ups and downs. Early in July, Rouhani criticized the presence of military institutions in Iran's economy, saying, "Part of the economy was in the hands of a gunless government, which we handed over to a gun-toting government." This statement provoked a strong reaction from a range of IRGC officials, who accused the president of attempting to weaken the IRGC. However, the tone of Rouhani's remarks about the IRGC gradually changed following a meeting with several commanders of this military institution, to the point that recently, in response to U.S. sanctions against the IRGC, he stated that "the IRGC is beloved by the Iranian people." Meanwhile, the IRGC spokesman stated: "The IRGC has never sought to pressure the government for special privileges. The IRGC's demands are to maintain the country's security, counter conspiracies, and develop and reconstruct the country, and given the trust and confidence that the people and officials have in the IRGC, we have no concerns." In part of this interview, Sharif also addressed the IRGC's stance in elections, stating: "It seems that a fabricated and unrealistic fear has been instilled in this regard. Is there any doubt that the IRGC is a defender of the Islamic Revolution and must be vigilant against conspiracies at critical moments like elections when the enemy tries to harm the country? The IRGC's efforts and resistance against conspiracies and enemy designs should not be interpreted as interference in elections." Interference in elections is an accusation that opposing political forces and critics of the Iranian government have leveled against the IRGC, including in the presidential elections of 2005 and 2009, which resulted in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory. Critics of the Iranian government also consider a video of Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari's speech, released in 2014, as evidence of "fraud" in the 2009 presidential election, citing a part of Jafari's remarks indicating that the IRGC's "concern and red line" was that reformists "would come to power again." Nevertheless, IRGC and Basij officials, the force affiliated with it, have denied this issue. For instance, Ali Saidi, the representative of the Supreme Leader in the IRGC, reiterated on May 12 that this military institution has never interfered in any elections and will not do so in the future. This was while, a day before these remarks, and as reported by Mehr News Agency, "simultaneously" with the controversial third presidential debate, a news agency affiliated with the IRGC was "exposing" against Rouhani and his deputy, Eshaq Jahangiri. Tasnim News Agency, on May 12, published documents regarding Jahangiri's "astronomical properties" and Rouhani's "rent-seeking" simultaneously with the third debate and after Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf attacked two government officials. In this debate, Rouhani also addressed Ebrahim Raisi, another presidential candidate, saying: "Ask those who bring crowds for you by bus from cities, from those revolutionary and security institutions that bring them for you, where their money comes from?"