IRGC: We Will Accelerate Our Regional Influence and Missile Program

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced in a statement that, 'in defiance of' the United States and Israel, the 'regional influence' and 'development of missile capabilities' of the Islamic Republic will continue 'with greater speed.' This statement was published by Tasnim News Agency on Thursday (October 18). In the statement, the IRGC referred to U.S. President Donald Trump as 'a rogue and simple-minded' individual, accusing him of 'boisterousness' and describing his policies as 'diabolical.' According to the statement, the U.S. and Israel are seeking to 'change the map of the region and weaken Islamic countries,' and their 'anger' towards the IRGC is due to the 'role' this force plays in this arena. The IRGC asserted that it is more determined and powerful than ever in its 'inherent and revolutionary mission' and added that the 'regional influence and power and development of the missile capabilities of the Islamic Republic, which has occurred under complete sanctions, will be accelerated and continued without interruption.' This statement comes after Donald Trump harshly criticized the IRGC in his new strategy towards Iran, labeling it as supporting 'terrorist' groups. Although Trump refrained from announcing the withdrawal of Washington from the nuclear agreement with world powers, he criticized the development of Iran's ballistic missiles and stated that he would order the IRGC to be added to the sanctions list. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Treasury Secretary announced plans for new sanctions against the IRGC. While many commanders of the IRGC and affiliated organizations, including the Quds Force, were previously on the Treasury's sanctions list, the entire force was not. The announcement of the IRGC's acceleration of its extraterritorial and missile activities comes at a time when the United States and its allies have repeatedly stated that such actions are inconsistent with the 'spirit' of the nuclear agreement and will not help in further lifting sanctions against Iran. The IRGC has repeatedly shown images of missile tests with the slogan 'Israel must be wiped off the map' inscribed in Hebrew, and among them, Gholamhossein Gheybparvar, the head of Iran's Basij Organization, has stated that 'wiping out' Israel is among the 'ideals' of the Islamic Republic. Recently, some factions within Iran, which had previously expressed implicit criticisms of the negative impact of the IRGC's missile development on the status of sanctions and consequently on the livelihood of the Iranian people, have shifted to enthusiastically supporting the IRGC's actions. Among them, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, Mohammad Javad Zarif, the Foreign Minister, and Mohammad Khatami, the former President of Iran, have recently supported the IRGC's actions in the region and the development of Iran's missile program.