Rohani: Public and Military Institutions Should Transfer Their Assets to the People

Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, on Thursday, July 7, called on all "public and military institutions" in the country to "transfer their assets" to the people so that the people can also become "wealthy and hopeful for the future." According to the official news agency of the Islamic Republic, IRNA, Mr. Rouhani, speaking at the Persian Gulf Star Refinery in Bandar Abbas, also demanded that "idle funds be utilized in the correct production path." He referred to this refinery and stated that the government could "transfer shares of such entities" to the people. This proposal from the President comes in a week when protests in several commercial complexes and markets in Tehran have spread to several other cities, once again highlighting the people's dissatisfaction with the country's economic situation. The sharp increase in the price of the dollar and gold coins in recent days, along with the shadow of U.S. sanctions on the Iranian economy, which has led to currency and import restrictions by Rouhani's government, has triggered a wave of street protests by merchants in Tehran and several other cities. The heads of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of Iran have reacted to these events, primarily emphasizing a violent crackdown on the instigators of the unrest. Meanwhile, some officials, including Nasser Seraaj, the head of the country's General Inspection Organization, have made revelations about capitalists who have been significantly active in the dollar and gold coin markets. Mr. Seraaj reported that a 31-year-old individual purchased 38,250 gold coins, paying 53 billion and 550 million tomans for them. It seems that Rouhani's reference to "idle funds" pertains to such cases. Nevertheless, his proposal regarding the transfer of assets from "public and military" institutions is not new. He himself refers to a "good resolution" that has also been approved by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. He stated: "For this purpose, we also had a good resolution in a joint meeting of the three branches, which has been approved by the Supreme Leader, to transfer the shares of companies and entities under the control of all institutions to the people." Last December, Amir Hatami, the Minister of Defense of the Islamic Republic, told the Iran newspaper that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had tasked the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran to transfer "unrelated" economic enterprises in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the army, and the Ministry of Defense. According to him, the activities of the armed forces will continue only in the area of "construction," including the activities of the Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters of the IRGC, based on the government's needs. However, less than a week later, the parliamentary deputy of the IRGC questioned the source of the Minister of Defense's statements, adding: "The IRGC does not have any economic activities that would be profitable for it." On the other hand, the government spokesman also called on Iranians abroad on Tuesday, July 5, to bring their investments back to Iran, and other citizens to also bring their gold and currency savings into the market. The government spokesman's proposal sparked criticism from many Iranian social media users, who largely criticized him.