Sadeghi: It is Unclear Whether the Government Will Find Another Opportunity to Serve the People

Several Friday prayer leaders in Iran criticized the performance of Hassan Rouhani's government in various areas during the Government Week. Kazem Sadeghi, the Friday prayer leader of Tehran, warned the government not to engage in political maneuvering and electoral propaganda during the "remaining opportunity," as "it is unclear whether there will be another chance to serve the people." In his sermon on Friday, September 5, he assessed the government's actions as "very insignificant" compared to "what should have been done" and urged government officials not to become complacent. He emphasized that "what should be done compared to what has been done is not at all noticeable, and the needs of the country are very high." Sadeghi also told Rouhani's government not to exaggerate the issue of the JCPOA, stating that the leader frequently speaks of the enemy's betrayals, yet the government is unwilling to mention even a single sentence about these betrayals. This conservative figure had previously referred to Western sanctions against Iran as a "blessing" and criticized Iran's contracts with foreign countries following the nuclear agreement. Rouhani's government officials have repeatedly spoken about the "destructive" impacts of Western sanctions on Iran's economy and industry, as well as the positive effects of the Vienna nuclear agreement, with Rouhani emphasizing that this agreement "removed the shadow of war from Iran." However, Mohammad Reza Naqdi, head of the Basij Organization, stated on Thursday that the political slogans regarding the threat of war against Iran are "incorrect," asserting that "some say we have removed the danger of war against Iran, but this is just a slogan." Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, also emphasized in April that the nuclear agreement is "never a document of honor" and that the people accepted it "reluctantly." In another part of his speech, Sadeghi told Rouhani that no statement should contradict the Supreme Leader's words so that "enemies do not claim there is a difference of opinion in Iran." Sadeghi pointed out the economic problems and recession in the country, urging the government to focus on "economic revival" in the remaining year of its term, stating that this remaining opportunity is not a time for political maneuvering and electoral propaganda. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, called on Rouhani's government on Wednesday, September 3, to avoid the distractions of electoral discussions in the coming months and urged government members to work diligently and plan effectively in the remaining year. Khamenei also criticized the cultural sector, stating that free thought does not mean "anarchy and allowing the enemy to inflict damage." Meanwhile, Ahmad Alamolhoda, the Friday prayer leader of Mashhad, stated on September 5 that Rouhani's government has fallen into "cultural anarchy" and "tolerance" to attract the attention of the "secular class," insulting the clergy to please this group. In similar remarks, Mohammad Saeedi, the Friday prayer leader of Qom, emphasized the need to "avoid anarchy in the cultural sphere and issues of hijab and chastity." The statements of the Friday prayer leaders in criticizing Rouhani's government come at a time when some government officials have criticized the performance of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, providing statistics on the poor economic situation during his administration and improvements under Rouhani's government. For instance, Ali Tayebnia, the Minister of Economy, stated on Thursday before the Friday prayer sermon in Tabriz that "the previous government's incorrect foreign relations policy had isolated Iran and created a large consensus of countries against Iran."