Khamenei's Reaction to the IRGC Being Labeled 'Terrorist': These Malicious Acts Will Lead Nowhere

One day after the United States' decision to designate the entirety of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as 'terrorist', Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, described this action as 'cat dancing', 'malice', and 'deceit and trickery'. Donald Trump, the President of the United States, on Monday, April 8, placed the IRGC on the list of 'foreign terrorist organizations'. According to the U.S. President, the IRGC is 'the main tool of the Iranian government in directing and executing an international terrorism campaign'. According to Tasnim News Agency, Ayatollah Khamenei said on Tuesday during a meeting with a group of IRGC members: 'The Americans think they are plotting against the IRGC and, in fact, against the Revolution and Iran, and they are cat dancing; of course, these malicious acts will lead nowhere, and with their deceit and trickery returning to themselves, the enemies of the Islamic Republic, like Trump and the fools around the ruling system in America, are heading towards disgrace.' He added: 'For forty years, they have imposed various political, economic, and widespread propaganda pressures against the nation, but even on the day the Islamic Republic was new, they could not do anything.' Khamenei attributed this action to the presence of the IRGC 'at the borders and even thousands of kilometers away around the shrine of Hazrat Zainab... and also in the field of political confrontation with the enemy'. The leader of the Islamic Republic further stated that 'today, the hand of the Revolution and the Islamic system is open in the region and indeed in the world.' Many countries in the region and the United States consider the IRGC's presence in countries like Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon as interference in their affairs and a 'destabilizing' trend, calling for an end to this process. According to Tasnim, on Tuesday, a group of members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly also wrote a letter to the leader of the Islamic Republic, stating that they 'accept' his complaint about their inaction against the U.S. 'with all their hearts'. Khamenei had previously stated in his Nowruz speech: 'One example of America's malice is that Congress has presented or approved 226 plans and bills against the Islamic Republic in the past two years, and of course, we should also complain and ask our own parliament how many plans or bills it has presented or approved against America's malice so far?' Now, a group of parliament members has sent a letter to the leader of the Islamic Republic stating that they 'accept his complaint regarding the parliament's action against the U.S. with all their hearts.' In response to the U.S. decision to place the entirety of the IRGC on the 'terrorist' list, the Iranian Minister of Defense threatened to retaliate. According to IRNA, Amir Hatami said on Tuesday: 'If the Americans, who have designated the IRGC as terrorist groups, implement this foolish action, we will respond powerfully according to the established strategies of the system.' On the same day, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, also threatened the U.S. with unveiling more advanced centrifuges, and Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated: 'The recent U.S. decision could have many consequences, and from now on, Americans in their bases in the region are not American soldiers, and in our view, these bases will be recognized as terrorist bases and the forces stationed there as terrorists.' Mohsen Rezaei, the Secretary of the Expediency Council, also reacted on his personal Twitter account to the U.S. action of placing the entirety of the IRGC on the 'terrorist' list, writing: 'Mr. Trump, in this case, tell your ships not to pass near the IRGC boats.' One day after the U.S. designation of the IRGC as 'terrorist', members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly also symbolically went to work wearing IRGC uniforms. Mehr News Agency reported on Tuesday: 'All members of parliament, including Mohammad Reza Aref, Ali Larijani, Ali Motahari, and all members of the two factions of Velayati and Omid, wore the IRGC uniform in today's open session.' Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Parliament, described this U.S. action as 'indicative of the depth of this regime's malice and ignorance'. Meanwhile, Mohammad Shariatmadari, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare of Iran, also tweeted that he has joined a campaign titled 'I am an IRGC member'. Various domestic newspapers in Iran also used the word 'foolishness' in their front pages to refer to this U.S. action. The Resalat newspaper wrote on its front page: 'Following the recent action of the first-class fools, it was emphasized that the answer to the stone thrower is a stone.' The front page of the Javan newspaper read 'First-Class American Foolishness'. The Quds newspaper titled it 'America's Game with the Lion's Tail', and the main title of the Shargh newspaper was 'Trump's Last Arrow'. Reports indicate that this new U.S. decision has led to further weakening of Iran's national currency and an increase in the price of the dollar and gold coins in recent days. Despite this, Abdolnaser Hemmati, the Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, wrote on social media on Tuesday: 'The Central Bank, along with the government, is vigorously pursuing its programs, including sustainable, secure, and non-sanctionable foreign exchange access, and this action will not have a lasting impact on the markets.'