Qassem Soleimani: The Presence of Europeans in Iran Aims to Raise Public Demands

The commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated on Wednesday, September 25, that the extensive presence of Europeans in Iran is coordinated with the United States and pursues three goals. According to the 'Sepah News' website, Qassem Soleimani, speaking at the '21st National Assembly of Commanders and Officials of the IRGC,' identified the objectives of European officials and companies in Iran as 'creating a bipolarity within society,' 'raising demands in public opinion,' and 'erasing the discussion of the long-standing conflict between the U.S. and the West with Iran.' Following the nuclear agreement between Iran and six world powers in Vienna, reached on July 13 of this year, foreign ministers from France, the UK, the Czech Republic, Italy, the head of the EU's foreign policy, the German Vice Chancellor, and the President of Austria traveled to Iran with extensive economic delegations to negotiate with the government of Hassan Rouhani about investment in Iran and expanding bilateral relations after the lifting of international sanctions. European countries hope that by implementing the Vienna agreement, the way for European companies to re-enter the 80 million-strong Iranian market will be opened while simultaneously benefiting from the possibility of exporting Iranian gas. However, these trips have faced criticism from figures and media close to conservatives and the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, who consider them part of 'anti-imperialism' in Iran. For instance, on September 20, Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, referred to these trips as 'traffic' and stated that 'this issue is very dangerous and causes us anxiety.' Qassem Soleimani also criticized the extensive visits of Europeans to Iran in his remarks on Wednesday, viewing them as coordinated with the U.S., which, according to him, 'is currently seeking to use various tools and new methods in countries.' He claimed that the U.S. pursues four policies: 'rebuilding power,' 'stabilizing' Israel, which he referred to as the 'Zionist regime,' 'weakening and containing the Islamic Republic of Iran,' and 'maintaining conflict in the Islamic world to increase the needs of regional countries for the U.S.' The commander of the Quds Force deemed the continuation of the Islamic Republic of Iran's existence dependent on 'revolutionary spirit' and stated that 'the role of the IRGC in preserving the revolutionary spirit within this body is invaluable and unmatched by any other position.' This part of Qassem Soleimani's remarks contrasts with those of Hassan Rouhani, the President, on September 24, who stated: 'It is true that the IRGC has been introduced as the guardian of the Islamic Revolution and its achievements, but the same duty is defined for members of parliament, the Supreme National Security Council, the Islamic Republic Army, and other institutions, and according to the Constitution, all institutions of the Islamic Republic are obligated to protect and safeguard the achievements of the Islamic Revolution.' Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, also made similar remarks to those of the Quds Force commander on September 25, stating: 'In the entire national organization, there is no place other than the IRGC that has defined an organizational duty for itself to protect the dearest historical event of this country and the current event of this country (the Islamic Revolution).' Qassem Soleimani referred to the 1979 Revolution in Iran as 'a collapse of American superpower' and claimed: 'The world where the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Islamic Revolution have their main base and influence is the main influencer in the discussion of the survival or non-survival of the U.S. as a superpower.' According to him, 'The important geography where the U.S. has suffered serious and fundamental damage is West Asia.' It seems that the Quds Force commander's reference to the Middle East is currently relevant, as two countries in this region, Iraq and Syria, are grappling with militia groups, especially the 'Islamic State,' and Iran is accused of intervening in their affairs and other Arab communities, including Lebanon, Yemen, and Gulf countries, through the IRGC's extraterritorial branch. Mr. Soleimani stated that the Middle East and North Africa have characteristics that 'play a very important role in the aspect of threats and the aspect of U.S. power development' and remarked: 'Currently, U.S. policy has turned into a recovery of its power in the region, and perhaps one of the reasons for insisting on an agreement with the Islamic Republic is this issue.' Iran and the United States have had severe disagreements over various issues for more than three decades, one of the most important being the Islamic Republic's nuclear program, which was ultimately resolved with the Vienna agreement. However, U.S. officials have stated that despite reaching this agreement, they will continue to counter the Islamic Republic's ambitions in the Middle East and Tehran's support for terrorist groups, and they are committed to supporting Israel and Washington's Arab allies against Iranian threats.