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The Islamic Republic of Iran’s newly appointed president Ebrahim Raisi has proven his determination to form a military dictatorship by installing commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) within Iran’s government body.
Ebrahim Raisi’s attempt to turn Iran into a military government ever since he took office, has been clearly witnessed after he appointed Mohsen Rezai, former commander-in-chief of the IRGC as Vice President for Economic Affairs, and Saeed Mohammad, former commander of IRGC-GHORB as secretary of Free Zones High Council, as well as Hasan Kazem, former IRGC Quds Force commander as special representative for Afghanistan Affairs.
Raisi’s appointment of IRGC commanders continues with Abedin Khorram, active IRGC commander in Eastern Azerbaijan being appointed governor of the same province. Also, Yaghubali Nazari, IRGC commander in Khorasan-Razavi province became governor of the same province.
Another military officer appointed as governor by Raisi is Ahmad Mohammadizadeh, who was the head of IRGC’s ‘strategic center for management and command’ and is now governor of Bushehr province.
Islamic Republic presidential administrations and state entities have routinely given civilian positions to less active or former IRGC senior commanders but appointing active-duty military commanders directly to top civilian positions within the jurisdiction of their own commands has been rare.
Dozens of Revolutionary Guards officers also swept into the parliament in the February 2020 elections, when hundreds of reformist candidates were barred from running, and with a very low voter turnout, hardliners and IRGC officers won an overwhelming majority.
The policy of hardline supporters of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, backed by Revolutionary Guards, in pushing many other loyal regime elements to the margins of politics has opened more vistas for Revolutionary Guard officers. The military force already is perhaps the biggest economic actor in Iran with hundreds of companies in all sectors.
Source: ISNA News Agency
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