Major concerns over the Revolutionary Guards’ (IRGC) terrorist designation and the implementation of new U.S. sanctions, known as CAATSA, has engulfed the entire Iranian regime, seen in remarks resorted by senior officials.
“Implementing CAATSA means sanctioning the establishment’s official military force and they can even sanction the government under the pretext of its cooperation with the IRGC,” said judiciary chief Sadeq Larijani. (Vatan-e Emrooz daily, October 31st)
“Based on the policies instructed by the leader, our missile ranges are 2,000 kilometers… This is enough for now,” said IRGC chief Mohammad Ali Jafar on October 31st, signaling a step back considering the seriousness of these sanctions.
Whereas on October 18th he is known to have said, “Our influence in the region and the power of our missile capabilities… will continue without any hesitation.”
“Our most influential response can and should be unveiling intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are America’s Achilles Heel,” said Hossein Shariatmadari, editor-in-chief of Kayhan daily, known to be the mouthpiece of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
In another development on November 1st Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council acknowledged the fact that the Iranian regime and its IRGC are present everywhere in Syria.
Brigadier General Gholamreza Jalali, head of Iran’s Passive Defense Organization, described the implementation of CAATSA as a “very dangerous threat” for the regime and said the IRGC is controlling Iran’s entire economy.
“This is no longer sanctioning the IRGC. These sanctions will pull us all in and Iran’s economy will be completely sanctioned… any individual or entity working with the IRGC will be sanctioned… Khatam al-Anbiya is involved in many projects in our country, including constructing dams, power plants and refineries… any individual or entity dealing with Khatam al-Anbiya will also be sanctioned. For example, 5,000 companies are working with the IRGCs Khatam al-Anbiya. 5,000 companies will be sanctioned… We are facing a fork in the road: either the IRGC must be internally sanctioned; the missile units, Ministry of Defense, other revolutionary entities, they will be sanctioned, meaning we are sanctioning ourselves with our own hands, preventing their development, or any other individuals or entities working with them… the Ministry of Energy provides water and electricity to the IRGC bases; the Ministry of Energy will be sanctioned. Then the IRGC seeks to pay its bills to the bank. The bank must be sanctioned. Therefore, this is a very dangerous economic sanction… this sanction will pull us all in… private companies, individuals, banks, they will be sanctioned in some way. It is a very dangerous sanction, both the primary and secondary. It will become a growing hole engulfing the IRGC.” (Channel Two state TV – October 30th)
For seven years the Passive Defense Organization has been sanctioned by the European Union for constructing nuclear facilities, including the Fordow uranium enrichment.
“Blacklisting the IRGC will have enormous economic impact for the establishment… the dangerous and concerning issue is that individuals or entities linked to the IRGC must be sanctioned. The situation gets complicated when an Iranian individual or entity is sanctioned, no foreign bank will be willing to cooperate and this very fragile network established following the nuclear deal will become even more fragile… considering the fact that the IRGC is an official entity with ties to the government, it will result in the government or other branches and entities being blacklisted… It is even possible for the Central Bank to be re-designated… when a few thousand Iranian individuals and entities are sanctioned, it is natural that no bank, small or large, will not be willing to cooperate with the establishment.” (Kayhan – October 31st)
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
November 1, 2017
