Iranian IRGC Official Predicts More Unrest in Upcoming Months

IRGC General Naser Shabani is among growing number of regime officials who express anxiety over future of Islamic Republic
IRGC General Naser Shabani is among growing number of regime officials who express anxiety over future of Islamic Republic

IRGC General Naser Shabani is among growing number of regime officials who express anxiety over future of Islamic Republic

Stop Fundamentalism – Severe living conditions and increasing economic problems in Iran as a result of international sanctions could lead to more unrest in the country in the upcoming months, said Revolutionary Guards’ Brigadier General Naser Shabani to Iranian Farsi language Ghanoon newspaper yesterday.

 

Shabani predicted that this time around “the unrest would start from remote cities in the country rather than Tehran.”

 

Iran will have its presidential elections in five months.  Protests broke out following last presidential elections in 2009 when massive Iranian crowed poured in to the streets rejecting the announced results.  The unrest nearly brought the Islamic Republic down to its knees.

Shabani predicted that politicians will use the bad economy situation to advance their campaigns during the elections.

Naser Shabani who is Deputy Chair of the Imam Hussein University, affiliated to IRGC, emphasized that poverty in the country will involve the lower income class in any future unrests. “The next two months will be critical,” he warned.

The increasing international sanctions designed to press Tehran to stop its nuclear program is worrying Iranian officials about the future of Islamic Republic.   West suspects that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons and Iran is denying international organizations access to its various nuclear sites for investigation.

“We are busy remedying those injured by the soft war. They include Ayatollahs as well as IRGC members,” he said referring to fallouts from among regime supporters as the result of growing domestic and international problems.  He expressed hope that if for the next two months the situation in Syria and Iraq would stay the same, then “west would invite Iran to cooperate.”

Shabani expressed concern about people inside the ruling faction in the government who are dissatisfied but do not voice their discontent.

He described the Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as an “opportunity turned threat” for the Islamic regime.  He criticized Ahmadinejad for speaking of negotiations during last year’s United Nations General Assembly.

Referring to Ahmadinejad’s changes in his cabinet, Shabani said, “we are currently at war and during war you shouldn’t change saddles.”  He invited Ahmadinejad to come back to the regime.

Shabani is among growing number of regime officials who are speaking out expressing their increasing anxiety about the future of the Islamic Republic.