Iran: Commander of Basij threatens further hostage-takings and Blackmails

, IRGC Brigadier General Mohammadreza Naghdi, Commander

Naghdi: Annulment of sanctions on Sepah Bank and release of $1.7 billion was in return for releasing U.S. spies

In a speech in Tehran, IRGC Brigadier General Mohammadreza Naghdi, Commander of the suppressive Basij force, described hostage-taking and blackmail as “the way to get our right from the arrogant”. He referred to the arrest of U.S. citizens and the detention of U.S. boats in the Persian Gulf as examples.

Naghdi has personally commanded the attack on the British embassy in November 2011 and the attack on the Saudi embassy in January of this year by the orders from Khamenei. In his speech he said: “The annulment of sanctions of Sepah Bank and getting back $1.7 billion of blocked Iranian assets after 36 years had nothing to do with the negotiations and was simply the price paid by the U.S. to get its spies freed” and this goes to “show that the language of force is the only language U.S. understands… the way to get our right from the arrogant is to become strong and we need to become stronger and stronger every day” (Fars News Agency, affiliated with IRGC – January 20, 2016). This criminal IRGC element added, “5-6 revolutionary guards arrest 10 transgressing U.S. marines in the Persian Gulf and with God’s benevolence enemy’s plans were folded.”

IRAN: Regime fails to get Qassem Soleimani up to attend a Student Day event

Attempts by the antihuman Iranian regime to get Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the terrorist Quds Force, to symbolically participate in a ceremony at Iran National University [named Beheshti by the regime] to build up the morale of the revolutionary guards and the Basij forces proved in vain. Although he was injured 25 days, the extent of his wounds is such that he is still unable to even symbolically take part in any ceremony.

This is despite the fact that state news agencies such as Tasnim, Javan and IRNA were advertising that Soleimani will appear in the Student Day ceremonies in order to prove that this criminal henchman is healthy and active. To avert the disintegration of its forces in Syria, Ali Khamenei, the regime’s Supreme Leader has ordered all resources be used to improve the health condition of Soleimani, but these attempts have led nowhere.

The Security and Anti-terrorism Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran disclosed in a communiqué on November 28 that Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Qods Force, has been badly wounded in the southern front of Aleppo. He has undergone at least two surgeries since. Soleimani being injured, along with the high number of casualties among regime’s IRGC Brigadier Generals in Syria and the casualties suffered by Hezbollah commanders and regime’s other mercenaries, has made the clerical regime ruling Iran face escalating crises and has ruined the morale of its forces.