Iranian Military Commanders Blame ‘Enemies’ For Uprising
As the protests in Iran enters its sixth week with no sign of abating, Iranian military brass continued to blame the protests on Western enemies.
As the protests in Iran enters its sixth week with no sign of abating, Iranian military brass continued to blame the protests on Western enemies.
Commander-in-Chief of Iran’s traditional Army Abdolrahim Mousavi said on Friday that the United States and Israel seek to sow discord among different generations and ethnic groups.
“Seduction of the youth and discord between generations, ethnic groups, guilds and unions, political parties, classes of society, religions and sects, are the plots designed by the think tanks and research centers of the American and Zionist regime's intelligence apparatuses,” he said.
People from all the groups he mentioned have been holding protests or strikes against the clerical regime since 2017. A stronger and more enduring round of protests began in mid-September when Iran’s hijab police killed a 22-year-old woman. Mostly young demonstrators demand an end to the Islamic Republic and a democratic, secular government.
Ali Fadavi, the second highest commander in the Revolutionary Guard, said on Friday that the country’s ‘enemies’ that used to focus on ‘hard war’ against the Islamic Republic in the last decades have now adopted a hybrid approach, combined with soft power. He said popular art can be used to promote the Islamic Republic revolutionary ideology.
IRGC’s Aerospace Force Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh also said on Friday, “We need to do creative and innovative works in the field of culture,” adding that “We have not done anything serious to celebrate and create a fresh and cheerful environment.”
Iranian activist Masih Alinejad released a document on Wednesday, showing the legal request sent to the FIFA Council to ban Iran from the upcoming World Cup slated to start in Qatar on November 20.
She said that the move aimed at suspending the Islamic Republic from attending international sport events was sponsored by a group of lawyers critical of the regime, adding that “a murderous regime and its officials should not be able to freely participate in international events.”
“Iran's brutality and belligerence towards its own people has reached a tipping point, demanding an unequivocal and firm disassociation from the footballing and sports world. FIFA's historical abstinence from political quagmires has often only been tolerated when those situations do not metastasize into the footballing sphere," read the document. “The situation for women in Iran is deeply unpalatable in the broader political and socio-economic framework.”
The lawyers argued that if women are not allowed into stadiums across the country, and the Iranian Football Federation is simply following and enforcing governmental guidelines; they cannot be seen as an ‘independent’ organization and free from any form or kind of political influence, describing it as “a violation of (Article 19) of FIFA's statutes,” according to which the FIFA Council is statutorily empowered to take drastic immediate action and immediately suspend Iran.
“If, however, FIFA thinks that the Iranian Football Association is not under the influence of its government, and is acting solely as an independent organization, then forbidding all women from entering stadiums and participating in the World Cup violates Articles 3 and 4 of FIFA Statutes,” in which FIFA has committed itself to respect and protect human rights internationally.
“The FIFA World Cup is a celebration of international solidarity and peace. FIFA shouldn't allow participation by a country that is actively persecuting its women, athletes and children only for their exercising their most basic human rights,” the document concluded.
British member of parliament Chris Bryant, the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Russia and former Foreign Office minister, said earlier in the week that FIFA should stop Iran from participating in the World Cup for its supply of weaponry for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Since March, many Iranians themselves have been urging FIFA to ban Team Melli from the World Cup for forcibly barring women from entering stadiums to watch matches. Under FIFA pressure, Iranian authorities started to let in a cherrypicked group for women so they would not face bans and penalties. However, since the start of the current uprising across Iran and a lackluster support from the national squad, the calls on FIFA to ban Iran have become stronger.
In a move likely to make waves across the region, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) released photos showing its commander General Michael “Erik” Kurilla onboard the west Virginia. It has been described as a rare decision, as the US military seldom, if ever, acknowledges where its ballistic missile subs are operating, particularly when they are stationed near an adversary's shores.
Praising the submarine and its crew, Kurilla called the vessel “the crown jewel of the nuclear triad,” and said that “The West Virginia demonstrates the flexibility, survivability, readiness, and capability of USCENTCOM and USSTRATCOM forces at sea.”
Kurilla's visit may be seen as sending a message to US adversaries in the region, including the Islamic Republic, of Washington's capabilities, including submarines that can carry up to 20 ballistic missiles with multiple warheads.
In June, US officials said attacks by Iranian proxies against bases housing American military personnel in Iraq and Syria were increasing. In August, the US military carried out retaliatory air strikes in Syria against facilities used by groups affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Late August, the US Navy prevented an IRGC navy support ship from capturing an unmanned vessel operated by the US 5th Fleet in the Persian Gulf.
