Islam Times - Ayatollah Khamenei Underscores Quds Force Major Role in Preventing Passive Diplomacy in West Asia

Ayatollah Khamenei Underscores Quds Force Major Role in Preventing Passive Diplomacy in West Asia

Islam Times - Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei rebuked Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for his “wrongful” remarks in a leaked audio file about the country’s foreign policy, the Islamic Revolution Guard [IRG] Quds Force and its martyred commander Lt. General Qassem Soleimani.

Imam Khamenei made the remarks in a live televised speech on Sunday in reference to a leaked audio file featuring allegations by Zarif about some occasions in which the country’s foreign policy had been “sacrificed” in favor of the force’s activities.

His Eminence voiced regret and surprise at the comments, calling the Quds Force “the biggest effective factor that prevents [enactment of] a passive diplomacy in the West Asia region.”

Therefore, “one should not talk in a way that causes foreigner’s remarks to occur to the mind,” Imam Khamenei advised.

The Westerners oppose Iran’s leading an active foreign policy, and rather prefer that the country falls back under the dominion of its former Western-backed tyrannical rule of the Pahlavi regime, His Eminence highlighted.

“This force carries out the policy of the Islamic Republic. The Western countries persistently want the foreign policy of Iran to come under their flag. They have been wanting this for years. Iran was under the Western domination both in later years of the Qajar dynasty and under the Pahlavi rule. The [Islamic] Revolution freed Iran of their dominion and now they are trying to restore that dominion,” Imam Khamenei said.

It is because of this opposition that the West frowns on any indication of such active foreign policy such as the Islamic Republic’s expanding its ties with China, Russia, and also its neighbors, His Eminence stated.

“I know many cases in which when high-ranking officials of neighboring countries wanted to visit Iran, the Americans were opposed. We cannot step back in the face of their demand. We must act forcefully.”

In reference to Zarif’s comments, Imam Khamenei said some remarks “are repetition of the US [officials’] remarks. Suppose that Americans have been angry with Iran’s [regional] influence for many years. They were angry with Martyr Soleimani for this reason and this is why they martyred him.”

“We must not say something that would bring to mind the idea that we are repeating their remarks, both about the Quds Force and about Martyr Soleimani himself,” His Eminence emphasized.

"A country’s plans include military, scientific, cultural and diplomatic plans, and their totality makes up a country’s policy. It’s meaningless for one sector to negate the other and this is a big error, which must not be committed by the officials of the Islamic Republic,” Imam Khamenei said.

“Nowhere in the world has the foreign ministry set a country’s foreign policy outlines, but there are higher authorities that set the main lines of a country’s foreign policy and the foreign ministry just carries out those policies.”

In the Islamic Republic, the foreign policy is determined at the Supreme National Security Council in the presence of the country’s authorities, and the Foreign Ministry should implement it using its own methods, His Eminence remarked, underscoring: “We must not talk in a way as if we do not accept the country’s policies and in doing so, make our enemies happy.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Imam Khamenei called for the massive participation of the Iranian people in the forthcoming presidential election, warning against efforts made to dissuade people from participating in high numbers in the polls.

“When people take part in elections [in multitudes], no power can harm the country. Therefore, anybody who takes part in the election, makes an effort for [determining] the country’s fate and its future,” His Eminence noted.

Imam Khamenei further emphasized that those who want to run for the election must believe in the basic principles of the Islamic establishment and do not cast doubt on them.

Additionally, His Eminence advised hopefuls running for the election to avoid of giving promises they cannot keep.

Separately, Imam Khamenei said the best way to thwart sanctions imposed on Iran by Western countries, especially the United States, is to boost domestic production in true sense of the word, noting that this will first render sanctions inefficient and then will make enemies to remove sanctions.