Hardliners accuse Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) chief Ali Shamkhani of failing to quell the protests and are calling for his dismissal.
in a video-recorded speech Open to the public on Sundayformer parliamentarian Hamid Rasayei, a hardline cleric, said all security agencies he spoke to were “giving instructions to the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council” if the protests failed to quell. claimed.
Rasaei also accused President Ebrahim Raisi of not taking timely action and constantly delaying Shamkhani’s succession.
Since the protests began, Siamkhani has kept a very low profile. There have been rumors among Tehran’s political elite that the army’s chief of staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, will soon succeed Shamkhani as head of the SNSC, sources told us recently.
The call to remove Shamkhani may indicate a deep disagreement with the protesters among many of the Islamic Republic’s intelligence and security services.
So far, the IRGC has carried out large-scale attacks on protesters, as it did in November 2019 when it used swift and lethal force, killing at least 1,500 people and arresting thousands within days. does not rely on tactics.
This time, the IRGC deployed only plainclothes agents to the scene, leaving the formal handling of the protests to the police and their special forces.The use of assault rifles against protesters has also declined, but at least 318 people have been killed by shotguns and beatings so far. According to Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA).
Hard-line cleric and politician Hamid Rasayei
Protests should have ended after Revolutionary Guard commander (IRGC) major general Hossein salami warning last week Demonstrators should stop and stop, Rasayei argued in his remarks.
In a speech on October 29, Salami accused US, Israeli and European powers of fueling unrest in Iran. “Stay away from the streets,” he said to the Iranians in a threatening tone.
Rasaei called on the current SNSC head, former president Hassan Rouhani, who appointed him to the post in 2013, to be held accountable for the “current situation.” He also criticized Shamkhani for his “ineffectiveness” in putting down the November 2019 protests in an optimal way and demanded accountability for: Allegations of financial corruption against him and his family.
The secretary of the SNSC is appointed by the President with the consent and express approval of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Ali Khamenei will also appoint the secretary of the SNSC as his own representative on the council. Shamkhani has held both positions since 2013.
Lawmaker Hossein Jalali told the SNSC and security services in an address to parliament on Sunday that “tolerance and laziness are enough”. Some protesters get the death penalty.
Jalali also referred to Moravi Abdulhamid, the leader of the Sunni Baluchi community, in his speech, saying that Shamkhani’s failure to take action against him was due to his “relationship with reformist former president Mohammad Khatami.” He claimed that it was because he “prioritized” friendship.
“Maintaining the regime is a top priority, even more important than preserving the life of the 12th Shiite imam, who is believed to be in the occult,” he told Shamkhani. Many can view this statement as religious blasphemy, as the Hidden Imam is believed to represent the continuation of the rule of the Prophet Muhammad.
Admiral Shamkhani served as defense minister in Khatami’s first cabinet (1997-2001). Despite opposing the president in the 2001 election, Khatami restored him to his second cabinet, but their relationship soured considerably.
