Conditions Are Sensitive, Irresponsible People Should not Speak

Rooz Online

As the debate over a military strike against Syria continues in the West, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards force stated that if the US attacks Syria, the war would not remain limited to that country but would continue in the region. But Hashemi Rafsanjani speaking as the chairman of the State Expediency Council asked, in the presence of President Hassan Rowhani, that “unrelated” people should refrain from speaking under the present sensitive conditions and let those responsible do the public talking. In the meantime, a diplomatic mission from Iran has travelled to Syria.

General Jaafari, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) force who had earlier said that if the US attacks Syria then “the responses will be beyond the Syrian borders” has now said an attack would create immediate crisis in US national security, adding, “an attack on Syria translates into an immediate destruction of Israel.”

Along with Jaafari’s message, the Iranian parliament, the Majlis, has dispatched a diplomatic team to Damascus, headed by the head of the national security and foreign policy committee of the assembly Alaeddin Borujerdi. On the team are also Fatollah Hosseini and Javad Karimi Ghodoosi, also members of the committee. Reports said that the delegation carried an “important message” for Lebanese and Syrian authorities. “The Iranian government and people are strongly against any foreign military intervention in Syrian affairs and shall use every effort so that a foreign country does not acquire the opportunity to make such an intervention in Syria.”

Following last week’s use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict, Western countries announced that they planned to implement a limited strike against Bashar Asad’s regime. At the time, Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announced, “The world cannot accept that one or a number of countries take the role of judge and executioner of a decision and act on their own interests, an act that is dangerous for them as well.” Iran’s leader ayatollah Khamenei also had reacted to the news and said, “The region is like an ammunition depot and nothing can be predicted about its future.”

Prior to Khamenei’s remarks, his personal and direct representative at Kayhan newspaper, which is recognized to be the mouthpiece for the regime, wrote, “The US can be the starter of a war, but ending it would not be in its hands or those of its allies. Israel is the Achilles heel for America and its European allies and without any doubt, with the attack on Syria, thousands of missiles will pour into the occupied territories (Israel) and its vital institutions on a daily basis. The Islamic world is fed up with the intrigues of the US, Israel and some Arab countries and has begun the countdown for directly confronting the Zionists rather than dealing with their proxies. An attack on Syria will provide a gold opportunity to Muslim nations who surround Israel.”

A UN investigation visited the chemically targeted areas in Syria and concluded its mission last week. It is expected to present its findings to the UN Secretary General, even though it has been clarified that the report will not be pointing fingers about who used chemical weapons.

Speaking to Aseman weekly, Foreign Minister Zarif also made a rather remarkable comment by saying, “We believe that major mistakes were committed by Syrian rulers and these have unfortunately created the basis for opportunism.”

But Zarif is not the only Iranian authority sending a different message on Syria. Others too have publicly presented a line that is different from those of the hardliners supporting Iran’s supreme leader ayatollah Khamenei. By criticizing Syrian authorities for using chemical bombs, Hashemi Rafsanjani has said, “Unofficial positions and remarks by unrelated people should be avoided and the principled and wise positions should be expressed (only) by official and responsible channels.”

Iran’s President Hassan Rowhani too has responded by saying, “Conditions in Syria and the death and injury of many innocent people, particularly because of chemical weapons, is unfortunate.”

But some Iranian personalities supporting Rowhani’s government have expressed hope that the Iranian government would actually stay away from the issue so as not to derail the programs of the new government in Tehran. Mohammad Ali Sobhani wrote in Bahar newspaper, “Nobody can escape feeling distressed about this human catastrophe and as the president has said, anyone who has done is condemned and is a criminal. But the Iranian government is responsible to the Iranian nation and the pledges and promises it has made to its people, so it should not deviate from its moderate policies and not allow this issue to be dragged into the country’s affairs. Every government has the responsibility of promoting its own national interests. Under these sensitive conditions, our national responsibility is to strengthen the domestic cohesion of Iran so that even if what the Syrian foreign minister has said that the goal of attacking Syria is Tehran is true, by seeing the domestic unity and national determination (of Iranians) in defending their national interests the enemies of Iran would not think about approaching Iran.”

At the same time, Sadegh Zibakalam, a university professor, wrote a piece in Etemad newspaper arguing that after an attack on Syria relations between Syria’s allies and the West will be so cold and dark that there will in reality not be any possibility for Rowhani to reduce the tensions and improve relations with the West.” If that happens, Iran will have to change its language with the West which will be more confrontational. But even if Rowhani and Zarif do not change their tone in relation to the West, the rest of the political apparatus in Iran would become so harsh and inimical towards the West that there will be no room left for any moderation or conciliation. This is true even if the Hezbollah, Syria or Iran decide not to respond. If they do, however, and for example strike at Israel, then nothing beyond that could be predictable. Under those circumstances Rowhani may find himself sitting next to military commanders. Not only will his conciliation file be removed from his options, he himself too may be removed from his position.”