Rohani: A Small Minority Cannot Decide for a Nation

Hassan Rohani, in remarks referring to internal issues in Iran, criticized the "jealousies after the elections" and emphasized that "a small minority cannot decide for a nation," while also referencing ISIS. The Iranian President spoke on Wednesday, July 21, during a cabinet meeting, addressing Iran's foreign policy and internal political rivalries in light of the recapture of Mosul from the Islamic State group. According to the official news agency IRNA, he stated that today "the jealousies following electoral competitions have no meaning" and that opponents should not be upset by the government's "successes," as "the success of the government is the success of the entire nation." He once again referred to the Vienna nuclear agreement as one of the "achievements of the Islamic Republic" and added that "we must utilize the created spaces." Rohani also noted that the Islamic Republic's support for Iraq and the recapture of Mosul should be seen as a "victory for all the nations of the region, especially the people of Iran." On Tuesday, the President had stated that the government provided all the funds for the weapons that Iraq needed to fight ISIS, even in the toughest economic conditions. A day earlier, Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC, announced that the Iranian Ministry of Defense was "producing weapons for Iraq in three shifts and sending them there." Rohani further emphasized that combating terrorism is much harder and more time-consuming than fighting terrorists. He added, "Eliminating extremist and violent thought from society requires a long time." Rohani insisted that "everyone should know that a small minority cannot decide for a nation," stating, "What was ISIS? ISIS was a small minority that wanted to decide for a nation and even two nations in this region or other nations." He continued, "ISIS... had a fabricated interpretation of Islam and the Quran, and the essence of this thought is that a group does not accept specialists, thinkers, and experts and stubbornly opposes them." The President clarified, "These individuals have come up with something in their minds, consider it right, become dogmatic about it, and act based on it." Rohani's simultaneous reference to his internal opponents and the ISIS group, without a clear distinction between them, comes amid ongoing verbal tensions between him and the IRGC and close associates of the Supreme Leader. On Tuesday, the President also stated that "we should not be afraid of a small number of people who unfortunately unjustly have the loudspeakers." In recent days, opponents of Iran's contract with Total presented an unprecedented urgent proposal to cancel this contract, which ultimately was removed from the agenda of the Iranian Parliament session on Wednesday due to a lack of quorum among the signing representatives. The continuation of these conflicts occurs as Rohani's swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for August 5. Meanwhile, Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi, the Minister of Health, on Wednesday, in response to a question about his presence in the twelfth cabinet, criticized the performance of media affiliated with "revolutionary" institutions, stating that "it is not possible to work under these conditions." He emphasized that despite "rumor-mongering, false accusations, and media campaigns," the Ministry of Health cannot be managed. Qazizadeh Hashemi's remarks may refer to news agencies affiliated with the IRGC and state media that severely criticize government actions.