US Secretary of State Responds to Change in IRGC Commander: No Difference Between Him and Zarif and Rouhani

The US Secretary of State, who spoke with journalists on Monday morning to announce the cancellation of oil purchase exemptions from Iran, said regarding the change in the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that he sees no difference between him and other officials of the Islamic Republic.

On Monday at a press conference, a journalist asked Mr. Pompeo, saying that the new IRGC commander is reportedly a hardliner, and Mr. Pompeo responded: “You referred to the new IRGC commander with the description of hardliner. Such descriptions often lack meaning. I must say the reality is that for every Iranian official—whether it’s Zarif or Rouhani—who have accepted the fundamental nature of this regime, making such distinctions has no significance.

He added: “If you are someone who supports Qasem Soleimani’s actions in Iraq, or if the activities of the Quds Force, Hezbollah, and Hamas are supported by you and you are a supporter of Hamas, it means you are acting against the objectives of the United States.”

Hossein Salamani, the successor to the IRGC command, was appointed as the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps by decree of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic.

The IRGC was designated by the US government on the list of terrorist groups in recent weeks.

President Trump stated in a statement that the reason for this action was the IRGC’s terrorist activities and the support and organization of terrorists by this military institution, and said that this action sends a message to other countries that if they cooperate with the IRGC, they have in fact cooperated with terrorists.

Also, based on the proposed “Iran Accountability Act: Transparency of Assets of Iran’s Leadership Cadre” in the US House of Representatives, Salamani’s name is also on the list, and if this bill is finally passed, the Trump administration will be obliged to use the financial capabilities and research resources of the United States government to publicly disclose the personal assets of Iran’s leadership cadre, including officials and military leaders.

Source: Voice of America