Naghdi: Agreements in Paris and Rome Were a Stab at the Heart of Resistance Economy

The head of the Basij Organization, Mohammad Reza Naghdi, referred to the events of President Hassan Rouhani's trip to Italy and France, including the signing of a contract to purchase 118 Airbus passenger planes, as a 'stab at the heart of the resistance economy' and claimed that 'Western intelligence agencies have spent money to publicize the purchase of the Airbuses.' On Saturday, February 10, he stated that 'the events of the trips to Rome and France were a stab at the heart of the resistance economy... and if they continue, we should close the technical universities of the country.' 'Resistance economy' is a term used by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, and his associates to describe an economy that is independent of foreign countries. Naghdi emphasized that the announcement of the purchase of these Airbuses is 'psychological warfare,' as the purchase cost '128 billion' and cannot solve the employment problem in Iran. The head of the Basij Organization also claimed, without providing details, that 'Western intelligence agencies have spent money to publicize the purchase of the Airbuses.' He added, 'If they build walls around Iran, the system and the people can achieve prosperity by relying on their internal resources because the elements of economic success, with God's grace, exist in Iran.' During Rouhani's visit, several cooperation documents were signed, including a contract to purchase 118 Airbus passenger planes worth $25 billion, which is referred to as the largest contract in Iran's aviation industry to date. However, the Kayhan newspaper protested the contracts signed during the Iranian president's trip to Paris and Italy, stating that 'the purchase of long-range airplanes and SUVs has no impact on job creation in Iran and does not help the development of the country's industries.' The Vatan-e-Emruz newspaper, close to the Stability Front, also severely criticized Rouhani for these contracts. In another part of his speech, Naghdi stated that instead of the French president, the French foreign minister welcomed the Iranian president, and Rouhani's press conference in Italy was held 'under the boot of the statue of the commander who invaded Iran, which are results of infiltration.' Previously, Kayhan newspaper, the Rajanews website, and some other conservative websites in Iran had protested Rouhani's interview in Italy under the statue of 'Marcus Aurelius,' the Roman emperor who defeated the Parthian dynasty in war against Iran. However, some government-affiliated media, including the Ana news agency, linked to Azad University, stated that 'Marcus Aurelius' is historically recognized as the 'philosopher emperor' and his statue is a 'symbol of peace and thought, not war and conquest.' Recently, some conservative media described Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister's welcome of Rouhani, as 'humiliating' for the Iranian president. In response to these reports, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stated that the French government provided the 'highest honors' for Rouhani's visit to Paris. He added, 'I am truly ashamed that some say that our president was received by the French foreign minister in an unusual move. Just look at who received the Prime Minister of India and even Mr. Putin in France. Do we send our president for reception before the official welcome?' Naghdi also warned about 'American infiltration' in the upcoming elections, stating, 'In this election, there are no factional rivalries, and a parliament that takes a stand against imperialism differs greatly from one that follows imperialist rhetoric because without the ideal of standing against imperialism, the future of the system is uncertain.' He added, 'Revolutionary forces must unite for the parliamentary elections to prevent incorrect rivalries and to avoid providing a platform for uninformed individuals; according to the leader's statements, we must vote for the list determined by faithful individuals who were not misled in the seditions.' He also stated, 'Infiltration has occurred in Iran, and the fact that some individuals speak contrary to the leader’s words just hours after his statements is an example of infiltration.' The head of the Basij Organization stated that the Iranian foreign minister learned 'Western sciences,' not sciences that stem from the 'analysis' of Ayatollah Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei, and for this reason, he acts 'like foreign ministers of other Western countries, and... infiltration occurs easily in the country.' In recent weeks, many Friday prayer leaders and appointees of Ayatollah Khamenei have repeatedly warned about the potential for enemy infiltration through elections, emphasizing the need to prevent critical figures from entering the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts. Conservative figures have also called for a transformation in humanities education in Iran, following Ayatollah Khamenei's criticisms regarding the prevalence of humanities sciences in educational institutions.