‘West sanctions sign of anger at IRGC’

A senior Iranian commander says Western measures against the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) show the enemies’ inability to harm the country.

“Imposing economic sanctions against the IRGC, freezing the assets of its commanders in foreign banks or barring them from traveling to Europe show the enemy’s anger at the IRGC and their inability to deal a blow to the establishment of the Islamic Republic,” said Deputy Commander of Iran’s Chiefs of Staff Brigadier General Mohammad Hejazi on Monday.

On June 25, the EU imposed sanctions against three IRGC commanders over alleged involvement in what it called “repression of protesters in Syria.”

The Iranian officials on the EU’s blacklist include Commander of the Quds Force Qasim Soleimani, IRGC Commander Brigadier General Muhammad-Ali Jafari, and Head of the IRGC Intelligence Bureau Hossein Taeb.

In February, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions against Commander of Iran’s Volunteer Basij Force Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi and Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi over allegations of human rights abuse during the 2009 post-election unrest in Iran.

Hejazi went on to say that the sanctions did not pose an obstacle on the way of improving IRGC’s might in regards to the armed forces’ operational and defensive capabilities.

The Iranian commander added that the preparedness of the IRGC and other armed forces was one of the factors which have immunized the country against the attack of trans-regional enemies.