Motahari to IRGC Commander: You Must Follow the System's Decisions Regarding Negotiations with the U.S.

Ali Motahari, the Deputy Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, wrote in a letter to Mohammad Ali Jafari, the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), stating that this military institution must adhere to the decisions of the system's high officials regarding negotiations or non-negotiations with the United States. Following Donald Trump's proposal for unconditional negotiations with Iranian leaders, the IRGC commander had stated that Trump and future U.S. presidents would 'never see such a day' and that 'the people of Iran will not allow a meeting with the Great Satan.' In his letter, Motahari wrote: 'You and other good brothers in the IRGC must follow the decisions of the system's high officials regarding negotiations or non-negotiations with the U.S., rather than making statements as the commander of the IRGC. Moreover, such statements representing the nation should be made by the elected representative of the people, namely the President, not by any official.' Motahari also referenced Ayatollah Khomeini's statements against military involvement in the country's politics. The Deputy Speaker emphasized that 'one of the country's problems is the interference of various institutions and officials in each other's affairs, which is beyond the scope of this letter.' He added: 'If the parliament, government, judiciary, and various councils each perform their duties correctly and do not interfere in others' domains, the country's situation will improve.' Despite Trump's proposal for a meeting with Iranian leaders, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani have yet to respond. However, the IRGC commander's statements have previously elicited reactions. For instance, Abdollah Ramazanzadeh, spokesperson for Mohammad Khatami's government, tweeted that 'the constitution places military personnel under the command of the Supreme National Security Council; they do not have the right to determine the political direction of the country.' Nonetheless, several figures close to Hassan Rouhani, including Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, have stated that the Islamic Republic should not reject negotiations. Trump, who has repeatedly criticized the nuclear deal with Iran (JCPOA), announced in May that the U.S. would withdraw from the nuclear agreement and reimpose sanctions against Tehran. As these sanctions approach implementation, the verbal conflict between the two presidents has escalated in recent weeks. Rouhani stated that war with Iran would be 'the mother of all wars' and peace with Iran would be 'the mother of all peace,' to which Trump warned him, 'Never threaten the U.S. again.' The U.S. seeks to renegotiate Iran's nuclear and missile programs and its regional actions. Concurrently with Trump's proposal for a meeting with Iranian leaders, a U.S. security official stated that the IRGC has begun a large naval maneuver in the region.