Mohammad-Ali Jafari’s comments were published on the state-run Fars news agency on Wednesday after he spoke at a gathering of Guards commanders in Tehran. According to Fars, Jafari couched the regime’s suppression of mass popular protests since June 2009 as a “great victory,” considering it more important than triumphs obtained during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.
“Of course,” he said, “such a victory is not felt as often and its significance is not acknowledged as often.”
Jafari added, “The incidents of the past year could destroy the fruits of the revolution [in 1979 which overthrew the Shah’s regime], and domestic and foreign enemies launched challenges in political discourse in the context of the presidential elections.”
Seemingly weary about the triggering of more protests on the anniversary of the uprising in June, the IRGC chief told his commanders, “The IRGC must enact effective measures to better prepare to defend the revolution and the achievements of the Islamic Republic system.”
He added, the IRGC “must position itself better and more appropriately in comparison to the previous years and preserve the establishment. That is why, IRGC and [paramilitary] Bassij Force commanders must raise their level of preparedness.”