Qasem Soleimani: The Islamic Republic Has Shielded Sunnis

The commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has rejected accusations of "Iran's adventurism in the region," emphasizing that the Islamic Republic is not seeking to convert Sunnis to Shia Islam and has "shielded Sunnis with its own life." According to Mehr News Agency, Qasem Soleimani stated on Sunday, March 14, in a speech in Kerman: "Enemies claim that the Islamic Republic of Iran is seeking adventurism because Iran's principles of enlightenment do not align with theirs..." He stressed the need for political discussions to be conducted in a way that does not lead some to believe that Iran is pursuing adventurism. Soleimani labeled the Saudi Arabian government as "illegitimate" but stated that the Islamic Republic has not adventured against this government; rather, it is the Saudi government that has "always sought adventurism" against the Islamic Republic and Islam. The Quds Force commander emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran has "become the center and axis of the Islamic world and Shia Islam," which has led to increased hostilities with this government. He also dismissed the claim that "Iran has swallowed Iraq" as an incorrect assertion "by enemies," adding that "if it were not for the Islamic Republic and the Guardianship of the Jurist, the shrines of Shia Imams in Iraq would have been threatened by enemies." Officials from several regional countries, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Jordan, accuse Iran of seeking dominance over the Middle East and interfering in the internal affairs of countries such as Yemen, Bahrain, Iraq, and Syria. In this context, Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi Foreign Minister, stated on Wednesday, March 10, that if the Islamic Republic "stops interfering in the affairs" of Arab countries, these countries would also be ready to establish "strong relations" with Iran. Iranian officials have denied these allegations, but some close to the leadership of the Islamic Republic, including Ali Saidi, the representative of the leader in the IRGC, have described Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, and Latin America as the "strategic depth" of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, also stated in July of this year, naming Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq, that the Islamic Republic will not abandon support for its "friends" in the region following the Vienna nuclear agreement. Iranian officials have also accused countries like Saudi Arabia and Turkey of supporting the Islamic State (ISIS) and claim that Iranian military forces, as "military advisors" and at the request of the governments of Iraq and Syria, assist the armies of these countries in the fight against ISIS. The Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which Qasem Soleimani commands, is considered the IRGC's extraterritorial branch. In recent years, various reports have been published about Soleimani's presence in Syria and Iraq. Some countries, including Jordan and Bahrain, have accused the Quds Force of planning attacks in these countries, but the Islamic Republic has denied these accusations. "A person who is not committed to defending the Islamic Republic is not committed to the principles of religion," the Quds Force commander stated in another part of his speech, saying that "enemies are seeking to bring the Islamic Republic of Iran and Shia to their knees by creating Takfiri groups." He also noted that "due to global changes, the conditions of the Shia world today are different from the past," adding that "if a person is not committed to defending the Islamic Republic and the revolution, they are not committed to the principles of religion." Soleimani emphasized that "today, defending Islam is impossible without defending the Guardianship of the Jurist, and to preserve Islam in governance, we must pay attention to this principle." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly accused Western countries, including the United States and Britain, of creating ISIS and Al-Qaeda "to confront the Islamic Republic and Islamic awakening." Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, the Deputy Chairman of the Assembly of Experts, had previously stated that the main goal of forming Takfiri groups is to destroy the "axis of resistance" and the Islamic Republic. Iranian officials refer to some Islamist groups, especially ISIS, as "Takfiri currents," and to Hezbollah, Hamas, and other Palestinian groups opposing Middle East peace, as well as the Syrian government, as the "resistance front" against Israel.