For Iran, Qatar Crisis Is a Welcome Distraction
TEHRAN — Iran’s leaders have been noticeably restrained in their response to the Qatar crisis, and for good reason, analysts say. Not only have they welcomed it, they would be happy to see it quietly drag on.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates cut diplomatic and commercial ties with Qatar last month for what they said was its financing of terrorism and working too closely with Iran.
I.R.G.C. Commander Rejects Rouhani’s Criticism about Guards’ Role in Iran’s Economy
The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps has rejected President Hassan Rouhani’s criticism of the I.R.G.C.’s involvement in Iran’s economy and defended his forces’ track record, the Iranian media reported. According to I.R.G.C.-affiliated Tasnim News Agency, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said it was inappropriate for government officials to “delegate difficult tasks with minimal profits to Sepah [I.R.G.C.] and boast about projects executed by Sepah… but at the same time speak unfairly against Sepah.” Jafari made the remarks after Rouhani said last week that “part of the economy was in the control of a government without a gun, and we gave it to a government with a gun – this is not economy and privatization.” Rouhani’s comments referred to the Ahmadinejad administration which transferred the ownership of government assets and projects to the I.R.G.C. under a privatization scheme.
Iran’s Nuclear Chief Warns U.S. Against Tilting Power Balance In Middle East
Iran’s atomic energy chief Ali Akbar Salehi, who helped forge the 2015 nuclear agreement, warned the United States on June 23 against upsetting the balance of power in the Middle East by siding with arch-rival Saudi Arabia.
Writing in the Guardian newspaper, Salehi said Tehran views a “lavish” deal U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration recently announced to sell Saudi Arabia $110 billion in weapons as “provocative.”
U.N. Leader Softens His Predecessor’s Criticism of Iran Missile Tests
The United Nations secretary general appears to have softened his predecessor’s criticism of Iran last year over its missile tests, a volatile issue in Iran’s relationships with other powers, including Israel and the United States.
The milder language is contained in a report by the secretary general, António Guterres, to the United Nations Security Council that has not yet been released. A softening of the criticism would be significant partly because the United States has called Iran’s missile tests unacceptable.
What’s the Future of Iran’s Military?
On June 18, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched missiles at Syrian opposition bases. While Iranian officials previously said that their missiles could strike with 10 meters accuracy, it is unclear the damage done. Still, the Iranian missile strike on Syrian territory suggests that Iranian capabilities are more real than rhetorical. Iranian leaders, for their part, said their enemies should be on notice. “The spilling of any pure blood will not go unanswered,” an IRGC statement read.
Iran: Military Budget Increased 145%
Many in Western diplomatic circles view Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as a pragmatist or reformer but, within his decades-long career inside the Islamic Republic, he has always been the regime’s “Mr. Fix-it,” especially with regard to questions over Iran’s military arsenal.
Corps and the electoral periods: Politics and Militarism
Kambiz Ghafouri, journalist and political analyst, analyses the Corps’ activities in recent election as following:
The presumption of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps involvement in elections for the first time was typically heard during the Iran’s presidential election in 2005. In this regard the presidential election periods could be divided into two periods; prior to Ahmadinejad’s Presidency and After Ahmadinejad’s Presidency, however this is not the whole story. The article explores the role of IRGC in different periods of elections in Iran, especially the presidential elections and examines various comments about the Corps’ interfere in politics.
IS QATAR ALIGNING WITH IRAN?
By continuing its relations with countries that undermine the security of the region Qatar’s policies have made the crises in the region more severe, especially by its relations with organizations classified as terrorist groups, like the Hezbollah militia.
IRGC: Dezful is Iran’s new ballistic missile
Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the Commander of IRGC Aerospace Force, who was addressing a gathering in city of Dezful, hailed the resistance of people of the city during Saddam’s war against Iran.
Lawmakers warn: Iran wants military base in Syria near Israel
Iran is trying to gain a military base near the Israeli-Syrian border, a bipartisan pair of lawmakers warned the Trump administration.
“A permanent Iranian military base in Syria, potentially near the border with Israel or Jordan, would increase Iran’s operational capacity to inflict serious damage against two of our closest allies in the region,” Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., and Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
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