Khamenei's Representative in Basij Warns Hashemi: The Bitter Fate of Montazeri Awaits You

Mohammad Reza Tooyserkani, the representative of Ali Khamenei in the Basij organization, warned Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Hassan Khomeini to be cautious that the 'calamity' that befell Hossein Ali Montazeri does not happen to them. Abdullah Haji Sadeqi, the deputy representative of the Supreme Leader in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also likened Hashemi's behavior to that of an 'enemy.' Hashemi's statements against the Guardian Council, which followed the disqualification of Hassan Khomeini from participating in the Assembly of Experts elections, have provoked the anger of hardliners and conservative forces in the Islamic Republic. Hashemi stated that the Guardian Council should apologize for disqualifying Khomeini and questioned its members, asking, 'Where did you get your qualifications? Who gave you permission to take control of the Assembly, the government, and other authorities?' Conservative media close to the IRGC and Basij have also published dozens of interviews with political figures from various factions condemning Hashemi's remarks in line with hardline conservatives. According to a report on Tuesday (February 1), Tooyserkani stated in one of these interviews that some are trying to make leadership 'hereditary' and are planning 'family arrangements' for it in the country with pre-determined schemes. He compared Hassan Khomeini's participation in the Assembly elections and Hashemi's supportive statements to the 'project' of determining leadership during Ruhollah Khomeini's era, which was initiated by 'some figures and led to Montazeri's vice leadership.' Tooyserkani warned that the same 'bitter fate' of Hossein Ali Montazeri has already been 'set in motion' for Hassan Khomeini. He also considered such a fate likely for Hashemi and urged 'the elders and well-wishers of the system' to 'advise' him, as 'the path he has chosen is a disastrous one.' Tooyserkani expressed his surprise at Hassan Khomeini, who considers himself the 'legacy of the Imam,' for using 'illogical methods.' Simultaneously, Abdullah Haji Sadeqi criticized Hashemi's protest against the Guardian Council as 'hubbub' and noted that today, for him, 'tribe and clan have become preferable to the law.' Haji Sadeqi, who had previously called Hashemi 'low-capacity,' stated that 'Hashemi's behavior resembles the words of enemies.' Mojtaba Zolnour, an advisor to the representative of the Supreme Leader in the IRGC, also warned Hashemi that 'if the Islamic system abandons compassion, these people must be transferred alongside their offspring to Evin.' He added that Hashemi is saying things today that 'we do not even hear from the BBC speaker, and those who have had a dagger in the heart of the Imam since the revolution do not utter such words.' Jafar Shajuni, a member of the Combatant Clergy Association, defended the Guardian Council's performance in disqualifications, responding to Hashemi's remarks that everyone owes a debt to Ruhollah Khomeini by saying, 'We owe a debt to Noah, but we do not owe a debt to Noah's son.' He considered the Guardian Council to be 'cleaner than water' and warned Hassan Khomeini that Hashemi wants to 'drag him into the quagmire he has sunk into.' Shajuni also warned the head of the Expediency Discernment Council that he is 'chopping at his own roots and these actions and words are not in his interest.' He expressed hope that Hassan Khomeini would also 'exercise wisdom' and 'not play in Hashemi's field.' Fars News Agency also reported, citing an 'informed source,' that due to Hashemi's harsh stance against Hassan Khomeini's disqualification by the Guardian Council, the Combatant Clergy Association has definitively removed his name from their list. Meanwhile, Mohammad Ali Mohammadi Kermani, the secretary-general of the Combatant Clergy Association, stated that 'we do not even have a meeting where this issue would be discussed, and this statement is a lie.' Media close to military organizations have also conducted interviews with several reformist figures such as Mohammad Abtahi, Mostafa Kawkabi, and Abbas Abdi, condemning Hashemi's remarks. According to Tasnim News Agency, Abtahi criticized Hashemi, saying, 'I do not understand Mr. Hashemi Rafsanjani's harsh criticism of the Guardian Council at this time at all.' Fars News also reported that Abbas Abdi noted in a commentary that Hashemi's criticisms of the Guardian Council were due to his 'preference for the disqualification and absence of Hassan Agha in the elections, or he wants to attribute it to his own words if he is possibly approved and consider others indebted to him, and based on the logic of his statements, their expectations from the consequences of this indebtedness are also clear.'