Creation of Basij in Regional Countries Officially Announced

Rooz Online

While foreign ministry officials from multiple Iranian administrations deny any para-military and political force involvement in politics, the current head of ideology-based paramilitary Basij force Mohammad-Reza Naghdi officially announced during a speech that Basij forces had been created in the countries of Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordon; a news event that overshadowed other reports as foreign minister Mohammad-Javad Zarif began yet another diplomatic trip and on the eve of the Geneva-2 conference over the future of Syria.

As reported by domestic Iranian news sites, Mohammad-Reza Naghdi, the head of the Basij Mostazafin mobilization force (basij Mostazafin means mobilization of the down-trodden) said yesterday, “Today Israel is surrounded by the resistance (forces) and after the Basij of Palestine and Lebanon, the Syrian Basij too has been formed and a Jordanian and Egyptian Basij too will be created. The instruments of power of the Islamic republic have increased while those of the United States have been declining since the Islamic revolution (of 1979).”

“As ayatollah Khomeini had said, our war will result in victory over Palestine so that we can say our prayers with our imam in Jerusalem. The Zionist regime has suffered repeated defeats in the 33-day, 22-day and 8-day wars and the work of the resistance, which is the legacy of ayatollah Khomeini and our precious martyrs will be our ultimate victory,” he said.

Iran’s foreign ministry which since Hassan Rouhani came to office has been trying to improve its relations with the world by emphasizing dialog, relaxation of tensions and friendship, did not comment on Naghdi’s aggressive and incendiary comments which may bring forth diplomatic reactions from some countries. Some pro-Rouhani websites in Iran such as Diplomacy Iran called on the government to respond.

Naghdi’s remarks about the creation of Basij ideological militia in the regional countries came as some documents such as video clips have already been published indicating the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ direct involvement in Syria and Iraq.

According to reports not confirmed by independent sources, armed groups belonging to the Islamic republic of Iran in Iraq recently physically attacked the main camp where the Iranian opposition group Sazemane Mojahedin Khalq resides outside Baghdad, killing over 50 people there. This killing took place a day after Ghasem Soleimani met with Iraq’s prime minister Nouri al-Maleki.

Also, last month the BBC played an hour-long video on the organization and operations of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards units in Syria. According to the video, the armed groups belonging to the Islamic republic took part in intelligence operations against their opponent groups in addition to providing arms to the Syrians, all of whom were apparently killed because of an ambush.

It should be noted that Javad Karimi Ghodoosi, the former Revolutionary Guards commander in the Iranian province of Khorasan and currently a member of the country’s parliament and a member of the hardline steadfast front made similar remarks and said, “There are hundreds of Iranian brigades in Syria. Even though you hear of the victory of the Syrian army from a Syrian commander, it is Iranian forces that are active behind the scenes.”

According to Lesarat website, a Tehran Friday prayer leader Kazem Sedighi said this last Friday: “Our defense borders will be expanded from Islamic Iran to Lebanon and the Gaza. The horn of the Zionist regime will come under the control within six days, which is the skill of our martyrs. The expansion of the resistance front from Lebanon to Gaza is the extension of this culture. During the 33-day resistance (war), the United States was defeated despite being a superpower. Today, the defense fronts and borders of Iran extend to Syria and now there is a larger front facing the Iranian nation. In this front, which is larger than ever before, American and Israeli mercenaries have taken refuge behind the Salafi masks and with the support of American bustards such as the Saudis, are in fact not against the Syrians but against the religious government that you the resistance people of Iran have created.”

Naghdi’s remarks about domestic Basij forces in regional countries also comes after Zarif met with Lebanese Hezbollah seyed Hassan Nassrollah on his way to Moscow to discuss the Geneva-2 conference on Syria.

In response to Naghdi’s remarks about regional Basij, Badr Abdullati, the Egyptian foreign minister said, “Iran or any other country has no right to interference in Egypt’s domestic affairs.” The head of Iran’s interests section in Egypt was also summoned to the Egyptian foreign ministry for an explanation.

Also following Naghdi’s remarks, a group in Iran calling itself “Setade Javanan Davtalab Ezam be Soorie” (Volunteer Youth to be Dispatched to Syria) issued a public statement and announced its readiness to perform jihad in Syria. The statement asked the officials of Iran and those of Iraq to facilitate the means for the volunteers to go to the Syrian fronts.