Jahangiri: Some Statements Against Rouhani Are Very Silly

The First Vice President of Iran described the attacks by "radical and extremist" individuals against Hassan Rouhani as "very silly" and "unprecedented," stating that "the President and the eleventh government are the most oppressed government and president after the revolution." According to the state news agency IRNA, Eshaq Jahangiri on Saturday, August 7, referred to the "destruction" by "radical and extremist" individuals against the Iranian President, adding that "it is very silly to speak in such a manner about the second personality of the country." He pointed to the "unprecedented" inflation and recession and the country's problems in the international arena, stating that "those who created the current conditions for the country have become creditors." He added: "Those who speak against the President have forgotten how they wasted the country's resources, creating a political atmosphere in the country where two people who have always been brothers since the revolution are now facing each other." According to Jahangiri, with the coming to power of Hassan Rouhani's government, "stability and calm were established in the country," and the three branches of government "did not act against each other." In recent months, attacks by individuals close to the Supreme Leader against Hassan Rouhani's government and him personally have increased, with some conservative media speaking of the one-term nature of Rouhani's presidency. Meanwhile, Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, described Hassan Rouhani as a "naive person" who believes that Iran has gained dignity through the nuclear agreement. Additionally, according to a report from the Saturday edition of the Etemad newspaper, Hamid Rouhani, a radical cleric, has called for Hassan Rouhani to be tried for his actions in the Vienna nuclear agreement "for treason against the country, lying, and distancing from the leadership." According to this report, this radical cleric stated: "The day the leadership said he considered negotiations futile, today's Amr ibn al-As forced the leadership to negotiate." Hassan Rouhani, the President, defended the nuclear agreement on Tuesday, August 2, stating that the JCPOA brought "dignity" to Iran, while during sanctions, "we always had our hands extended to others." Despite the confirmation of the Vienna nuclear agreement by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, he and his close associates continue to criticize this agreement. For instance, on August 2, Ayatollah Khamenei protested against the sanctions not being lifted "all at once," calling the Vienna nuclear agreement "a fruitless experience" of negotiations with the United States. Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also emphasized on April 6 in the first meeting of the Supreme Council of IRGC commanders in 2016 that the Vienna nuclear agreement "is never a document of honor" and that the people accepted it "reluctantly." Jahangiri continued his remarks by stating that "this government's obedience to the leadership is unparalleled," adding: "We are happy when we act; when we deviate, we return to the path with the leadership's reminder." He added: "A precise relationship has been established in this regard, and we are not willing to place any costs on the leadership, and all responsibilities lie with the government." Also, according to the Young Journalists Club, Jahangiri said: "If successes are achieved in some areas, it is for the Islamic Republic system, and if there are shortcomings in some cases, the government bravely accepts responsibility." Jahangiri's remarks come at a time when the Supreme Leader has repeatedly criticized the actions of Hassan Rouhani's government in cultural and political areas. Hassan Rouhani's government has also had serious conflicts with institutions under the Supreme Leader, including the judiciary, the IRGC, and state television regarding domestic political issues, cultural matters, and foreign policy, and these institutions have obstructed some of the government's actions. Meanwhile, in recent months, some figures and media close to the IRGC have accused Hossein Fereydoun, Hassan Rouhani's brother, of economic corruption. For instance, following the arrest of Ali Rostegar, the former CEO of Bank Mellat, several media outlets affiliated with the IRGC and Moussa Ghazanfarabadi, the head of the Tehran Revolutionary Court, accused Fereydoun of being connected to a "banking corruption network." Mohammad Bagher Nobakht, the government spokesman, on June 15, reacted to reports published against Rouhani's government, including "multi-hundred-million salaries" of several managers, revealing the existence of a "think tank" that, according to him, was formed with "political motivations" against the government and "determines what should happen every Saturday."