Khamenei Warns of 'Slipping and Falling': IRGC Had 'Obedience and Submission' to Khomeini

The leader of the Islamic Republic emphasized that the IRGC has always embodied 'values' such as 'obedience and submission' to Khomeini since its formation. Ali Khamenei, speaking on Thursday, August 17, during his first meeting with senior IRGC officials after the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests, stressed that 'we must not forget our identity' and that 'one of the goals of the world's devils is our self-forgetfulness. We must not allow it.' He stated that the IRGC considers the mission of safeguarding the revolution to be its own and described the formation of the IRGC at the beginning of the 1979 revolution as 'a unique phenomenon,' emphasizing that the 'leadership and organization' of the IRGC was established 'under the centrality of the revolution' and that it was present throughout the country, but the center truly commanded. Khamenei added that from the very beginning, IRGC members possessed values of religion and revolution, such as self-sacrifice, dedication, constant jihadist presence, and obedience and submission to the great Imam. He also spoke about the 'vulnerability' of 'all humans,' stating, 'All leaders, all managers, all commanders, all of us are vulnerable.' Khamenei noted that 'every human has a weakness within their personality' that they are sometimes 'unaware' of, and 'at some point, a situation arises that brings this to light. If we do not fight against it, it will conquer us. We must guard ourselves.' It is unclear why Khamenei made these remarks about 'slipping,' 'weakness,' 'falling,' and 'obedience and submission' of the IRGC in relation to the former leader of the Islamic Republic, especially on the eve of the anniversary of the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests. Previously, a source informed VOA that the IRGC has 'various layers' that, if the first layer fails or collapses for any reason, the second and third layers will come into play, often creating a toxic competition among them, meaning that you are superior and your characteristics are more special, which they do to the extent that they can sever their ties between layers to prevent collective collapse or disobedience. Additionally, Prince Reza Pahlavi has previously stated to VOA that the more sanctions increase, the more the regime will collapse, and in the context of regime change, the more the main body, which is not benefiting from maintaining this system, thinks it is better to join the people before it is too late. Khamenei also claimed on Thursday that the IRGC is currently 'the largest anti-terrorist organization in the world,' despite some countries, including the US, designating the IRGC as a terrorist group and sanctioning its officials. The Sunday Times reported on August 6 that according to Suella Braverman, the UK Home Secretary, the IRGC is the biggest threat to Britain's national security. Jason Brodsky, a policy director at the United Against a Nuclear Iran organization, also stated that adding the IRGC to the list of terrorist organizations by the UK and the EU would lead to a ban on membership in this organization. He pointed to 'concerning reports' of the radicalization of supporters of the Islamic Republic in the UK by IRGC commanders, stating that declaring the IRGC as a terrorist organization within the existing European sanctions framework could significantly help prevent the spread of anti-Semitic views and conspiracy theories by the Islamic Republic. The IRGC was one of the main pillars of the suppression of peaceful protests in the second half of 2022, during which over 500 people, including at least 70 children, were killed. Previously, the IRGC's commander had described the 'Women, Life, Freedom' protests as the 'strongest, most dangerous, and serious' 'struggle' against the Islamic Republic on a 'global' scale and warned of its recurrence on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death. The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned five members of the IRGC and an organization affiliated with the Quds Force on June 1 for their involvement in a series of 'terrorist plots, including plans to assassinate former US government officials, American citizens, dual nationals, and Iranian dissidents.' US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted at the time that 'we will continue to expose and disrupt the IRGC's foreign violence, including plots against American citizens and officials.' He stated, 'Today we sanctioned five IRGC operatives and an Iranian aircraft involved in these plots.' Calls for sanctions against the leaders and institutions of the Islamic Republic, including the IRGC, have increased in recent months following the crackdown on protesters in Iran after the death of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini in custody. During this time, the US, UK, and EU have coordinated actions demanding accountability from the Islamic Republic and have repeatedly imposed sanctions against human rights violators.