Sanai Rad: Governments Have Imposed Certain Companies on the IRGC Instead of Paying Debts

The political deputy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stated that this military force entered the realm of "construction" at the "request" of governments, which have "imposed certain companies on the IRGC in exchange for debts." On Wednesday, July 7, Rasul Sanai Rad told Fars News Agency that the IRGC has entered the field of "construction" and "helping the system to overcome sanctions" based on the constitution. He added, "The presence of the IRGC in the construction sector was at the request of the governments, and the IRGC did not insist on being present in this area; rather, it has been a helping hand for the governments." According to Sanai Rad, "The role of the IRGC has not been limited to any of the governments, and despite some reactions that could have caused discouragement and some unjust treatments, it has been present in the construction sector." The political deputy of the IRGC announced that the presence of this military force in the "construction" field has been with the "approval" and "permission" of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and stated that "the presence of the IRGC has not narrowed the space for any private, public, or semi-public companies. Rather, with the resources it has, it has created opportunities for the presence of both small and large companies." He announced that the IRGC enters projects that have a "high risk" and "the capabilities of companies are not up to that project" and added, "Sometimes, some political actors object to the presence of the IRGC in the construction sector for specific settlements and introduce it as a presence in economic activities." He further added, "The reality is that if we look at the IRGC's presence from an economic perspective, this presence in some projects is not even economically viable. Rather, it has been in line with the IRGC's broader perspective to increase public satisfaction." According to Sanai Rad, "If this perspective did not exist, the IRGC would have to abandon many of these projects." The statements of the IRGC's political deputy were made in response to recent criticism from Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, regarding the military force's activities in economic fields. On July 1, Rouhani criticized the entry of military personnel into the economic sphere, stating, "Part of the economy was in the hands of a government without guns, which we handed over to a government with guns." He added, "This is not economics and privatization. They were afraid of that government without guns, let alone now that we have given the economy to a government that has both guns and media at its disposal and has everything, and no one dares to compete with them." In response to this criticism, Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the IRGC, stated, "We are not afraid of these reproaches" and "they may introduce us as gun owners; yes, we are not only gun owners but also owners of enemy-destroying missiles." Jafari added, "We believe that a government without guns will be humiliated by enemies and ultimately surrender." The commander of the IRGC accused Rouhani's government of "injustice" and added that "the unfair attack on the IRGC brings to mind other objectives that we only remain silent about to maintain unity regarding it." Rouhani has previously criticized the economic activities of military and security institutions, deeming them a barrier to competitiveness. The verbal conflict between the IRGC commanders and Hassan Rouhani has occurred repeatedly over the past four years. While IRGC commanders, along with conservatives, have frequently criticized the JCPOA, Rouhani considers this agreement a significant achievement for lifting sanctions, boosting the economy, and increasing Iran's security.