Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters of the IRGC: We Have the Highest Cooperation with the Government of Hope and Prudence

Salaar Abnoush, the deputy of Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), stated that this headquarters has 'the highest level of cooperation with the Government of Hope and Prudence.' According to a report on Sunday, November 25, by the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA), Mr. Abnoush said in Mashhad: 'We are accused of monopolization; however, a tree that bears more fruit is thrown more stones at.' The deputy of Khatam al-Anbiya mentioned that this headquarters, belonging to the IRGC, aims to 'take on the responsibility of mega projects' and added that 'the enemy's art is blackening the image.' Khatam al-Anbiya was established in 1989 by the order of Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, and according to previous reports from the IRGC to the Budget Commission of the Parliament, it has 812 registered companies in Iran and abroad. The value of contracts held by this headquarters with various entities amounts to tens of billions of dollars. Reports indicate that many construction and infrastructure projects in Iran across various sectors such as energy, telecommunications, transportation, and dam construction have been awarded to this headquarters with government approval and without tendering procedures in recent years. Previously, Akbar Turkan, a senior advisor to the President and Secretary of the Free Zones Coordination Council of Iran, stated that 'we cannot compete with Khatam al-Anbiya.' Mr. Turkan added that Khatam al-Anbiya won the tender for the Persian Gulf Bridge on Qeshm Island with a 'claim' of attracting financing, but 'for this project, it took 150 billion tomans and 30 billion tomans as the government's share of financing and spent it, and now that it needs to bring in the financing, it says it cannot.' Meanwhile, Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, had requested that several major national projects be undertaken by the IRGC at the beginning of his presidency in 2013. However, Ali Motahari, a representative from Tehran in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, criticized these remarks, stating: 'It is unlikely that Mr. Rouhani, as President, does not know that today the IRGC is indeed a competitor to the people and the private sector and acts like ordinary contractors, which has caused damages and harms to both the IRGC and the economy of the country.' Ahmad Tavakoli, another prominent member of the Parliament, also criticized the economic activities of 'military' and 'security forces' in Iran, urging government officials to make a 'decisive decision' on this matter. Meanwhile, Abadollah Abdollahi, the commander of Khatam al-Anbiya, stated that 135,000 people work in this headquarters and added: 'The IRGC is concerned about the livelihood and employment of the people and will assist wherever the governments request and will complete any unfinished work.' Mr. Abnoush also mentioned in his speech in Mashhad that 'almost all classes and thoughts are present in Khatam al-Anbiya, and wherever the enemy has sought to enter with sanctions, we have taken the initiative.' The deputy of Khatam al-Anbiya added: 'In sanctions, we have suffered the greatest blows from insiders; outsiders were more honest with us, and it was the insiders who took advantage and struck.' Salaar Abnoush did not provide further explanation on this issue.