Representative of the Leadership in the IRGC: Film, Newspapers, Books, and Social Media are Platforms for Foreign Influence

Ali Saidi, the representative of the leadership in the IRGC, has accused some members of Hassan Rouhani's government of having succumbed to the United States. He stated, 'The beautification of America is carried out through art, articles, notes, debates, various media, and cyberspace.' In response to a question regarding the Iranian president's remarks about the JCPOA as a model for resolving regional issues, he said, 'This comparison will certainly pose a great threat to our national security and independence; we must not make mistakes; a believer is not bitten from the same hole twice; we have been bitten several times.' Saidi referred to Rouhani's comments made after the nuclear agreement in Vienna or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in August, where he said, 'We are capable of resolving other issues in the region and the world at the negotiating table.' The representative of the Supreme Leader in the IRGC also mentioned, 'Unfortunately, today I see this perspective among some statesmen and politicians, a perspective of self-deprecation and turning the devil into a village chief, transforming the war with the devil into reconciliation with the devil, and the belief that the only solution to problems is looking outward and that the only way to ease the economy is to enter the international community.' Saidi stated that there are two perspectives within the Islamic Republic system; the first seeks interaction with the world and refrains from confronting the international system. He explained the second perspective: 'The other viewpoint says that what we have achieved over 36 years has been under the shadow of resistance and standing up against this arrogant power; this perspective says we should not only not move within the framework of the international system but also seek to revise the laws of this plundering and oppressive system; we should not submit to force.' The representative of the Supreme Leader in the IRGC further stated, 'The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance is responsible for ensuring the health of the intellectual and cultural feeding channels of society. Indifference and negligence in this area deal the greatest blow to religious and national culture. Films, newspapers, books, magazines, and cyberspace are platforms for foreign influence.' He added, 'One of the main concerns is that we observe a state of submission among some statesmen, which is very dangerous; in fact, who is beautifying the face of America and removing hatred from its face? This is being done through art, articles, notes, debates, and various media and cyberspace. Ultimately, who is providing the ground for influence?' Saidi also stated, 'The books and magazines presented at the exhibition, truly, anyone who reads some of these works and reports gets a headache; 36 years have passed since the revolution, and we are at the peak of power in the region, yet in some matters, individuals do not know what danger is lurking for this system and revolution, and we are worried that the same calamities that befell other revolutions may happen to us.' The issue of the danger of enemy 'influence' was raised by Ali Khamenei shortly after the nuclear agreement between Iran and the 1+5 countries. He warned that during Iran's nuclear negotiations with the six world powers, the U.S. sought a way to 'infiltrate' Iran. Khamenei, however, warned that 'we will decisively close this path.' He also stated on December 4 that 'the target of infiltration is currents, elites, influential individuals, decision-makers, and those who make decisions. Infiltration is a great danger.' Following these remarks by the Supreme Leader, several figures close to him have also warned about U.S. 'infiltration' in Iran.