Khamenei: They are waiting for ten years after I am gone to achieve their goals

The leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday, September 25, accused "foreigners" of attempting to realize their goals after his leadership and of trying to "infiltrate decision-making and policymaking centers" of the Islamic Republic. According to the state news agency IRNA, Khamenei warned the commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the country's "elites" to strengthen the "foundations of revolutionary thought and spirit" so that nothing disrupts this path in the future. Khamenei emphasized that "foreigners are seeking to infiltrate decision-making centers politically, and if that fails, they aim for policymaking centers." He stated, "They are waiting for the nation and the system to fall asleep, and in ten years, when I am no longer here, to achieve their goals." He added, "We must strengthen the foundations of revolutionary thought and spirit in the country so that nothing disrupts this brilliant path, which is the fundamental duty of all elites." Khamenei's remarks seem to continue the warnings from his close associates over the past year, especially with one year remaining until the Assembly of Experts elections, where they claim reformists and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani are trying to participate. Mohammad Khamenei, Ali Khamenei's elder brother, described Rafsanjani last year as the "American candidate" for "infiltration" in Iran and stated that he and Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri competed over "dealing with America." Ahmad Jannati, the Secretary of the Guardian Council of Iran, also warned on Friday, January 19, 2015, that "some are thinking of seizing the Assembly of Experts" and that "enemies" want a leadership for the Islamic Republic that is also approved by them. Jannati warned on Wednesday, September 2, that a group that has had a divergence with the Supreme Leader regarding America is seeking to infiltrate the Assembly of Experts. Among the active political factions in Iran, figures known as moderates have stated that establishing relations between Iran and the U.S. is not impossible. For instance, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the head of the Expediency Discernment Council, said last July that reopening the U.S. embassy in Tehran "is not impossible," although he believes it "depends on the behavior of both sides." However, the Supreme Leader has warned that the U.S. seeks "a way to infiltrate the country through the nuclear agreement, and the Islamic Republic will not allow this infiltration." Khamenei also criticized statements and writings that he claimed "knowingly or unknowingly seek to undermine the IRGC." On Wednesday, Khamenei warned for the umpteenth time after the Vienna nuclear agreement about the "economic, security, intellectual, cultural, and political infiltration of the enemy." He considered "cultural and political infiltration" to be "more dangerous than economic and security infiltration" and emphasized that officials, including the IRGC, "will prevent security infiltration with full power." Khamenei stressed that contrary to what he called the "perceptions and insinuations of foreign think tanks" that some within the country also repeat, "the revolution is not something that can be finished, and transforming it into an Islamic Republic in the way they think will not be possible." Khamenei stated that the IRGC's intelligence must constantly monitor internal, regional, and international issues and identify threats. This statement comes at a time when in recent years, some members of parliament and political figures have criticized the IRGC's economic activities, its interference in politics, and its parallel activities with the Ministry of Intelligence. For instance, Hassan Rouhani, the president, stated on Tuesday, December 8, that the monopoly and concentration of "manifestations of power" in one institution is a "factor" of corruption and that the concentration of intelligence, guns, and media in one institution brings about corruption. Ahmad Tavakoli, a conservative member of parliament, has previously stated that "military personnel have entered the market with greetings and blessings, and it is no longer possible to remove them." Ali Motahari, a representative from Tehran, has also repeatedly criticized the IRGC's interference in politics, economic activities, and its parallel activities with the Ministry of Intelligence.