Basij Commander: IRGC, Gov’t Stand United on Nuclear Deal

“No matter what our decision will be, we will stand united and the Americans’ dream to see Iranians divided will never come true,” Naqdi said in response to the US officials’ recent claims that the IRGC and President Rouhani’s administration are in direct confrontation over a nuclear deal with the world powers.

“We are all one united nation with a single leader and we all obey this leader irrespective of our tastes and tendencies,” he added.

Naqdi further said Washington’s hostility towards Tehran has become a further cause of unity among Iranians. “Irrespective of their differences, the Iranian nation is in consensus over the fact that the US is our arch foe.”

The Basij commander further pointed out that the recent remarks made by US Secretary of State John Kerry disclosed Washington’s agenda and plotted objectives under the Vienna nuclear agreement.

He said Kerry came to reveal the United States’ hidden goals when he was under intense pressure by opponents of the deal during the recent congressional hearing.

“Kerry said they intend to station 150 inspectors in Iran to fill in the blanks in their information about Iran and then exchange the information with Israel; then they would tell Iran that they have certain prerequisites for taking the next steps of the agreement, including negotiations over regional issues to force Iran undertake certain obligations and if it refrains, they would use military pressure,” Naqdi said, referring to the US hidden agenda under the nuclear deal.

He described Kerry’s remarks at the congress as “naïve”, and said, “Unlike Kerry, we are not inexperienced to disclose our plan.”

Naqdi’s remarks over the IRGC’s supportive stance for the government came after Washington officials and media outlets made repeated claims in the last few days about a rift between the two over striking a deal with the world powers, specially the US.

In response to the same claims of the US officials, a member of the Iranian team of negotiators disclosed earlier this week that during the recent talks in Vienna, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had a harsh debate with the western delegations over the IRGC and Quds Force Commander Major General Qassem Soleimani.

“Do you know who you are talking about? Do you know that the Iranian nation appreciates them for their bravery and sacrifices in defending their homeland against Saddam’s aggression? When aggressive Saddam had all types of weapons in his hand and your governments had closed all paths to Iran’s access to arms supplies, the young IRGC forces defended our country with their blood and sacrifices. Our people are thankful to them,” Zarif said in reaction to the statements made by the foreign minister of one of the western countries at a meeting in the last round of talks with the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) which ended in Vienna on July 14, according to the diplomat who asked for anonymity.

“You’d better stop showing to the Iranian nation that you are standing opposed to the IRGC”, the source added.

“Zarif repeatedly reminded the western ministers that if General Soleimani had not stood up to the ISIL and other extremists in Syria and Iraq, they would have witnessed a different situation in many Iraqi and Syrian cities today,” the source underlined.

General Soleimani has been praised by different classes of the Iranian society as well as the regional figures for his brave commandership of the IRGC’s Quds Force and for his strategic thoughts and major wins in the war on terrorist groups in the region.