Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani warned the Hassan Rouhani government against negotiating the cleric-led country’s regional agenda in the same fashion they did the Iranian nuclear program.
Soleimani, who heads the elite force tasked with running Iranian proxies and operations abroad, has stressed that the Quds Force’s role is not up for negotiation.
Solaimani questioned the feasibility of negotiating an international agreement on the regional role of Iran, considering this type of agreement “an attempt to dry out the spirit and movement of Islamic Iran.”
Speaking from the Iranian northern village of Babel, the Quds Force commander insisted on using the term “Burjam,” Iranian term used for the a joint action plan on Iran's nuclear program (otherwise known as the Iranian nuclear deal).
He also warned of internal disagreements which could affect the cleric-led regime’s regional role, linking the regional agenda to Iran's national interests and refusing to distinguish between the two. He stressed his forces, first and foremost, prioritizing Iranian national interests.
Soleimani also credited his forces for expanding Iran’s role in the region —the Quds Force operates and supports proxy militias in each of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen. Boasting on Iran's role in the region, Soleimani said he was not considering any move or decision without taking Iran's national interests into account.
More so, Soleimani criticized neighboring Pakistan for enjoying great ties with Saudi Arabia and called on the Pakistani army and people to intervene to cutback these ties. He also warned Islamabad against “testing Iran.”
"I am warning you: Don’t test Iran’s tolerance,” Soleimani said.
Jaish al Adl (Army of Justice), which says it seeks greater rights and better living conditions for ethnic minority Baluchis in Iran, had earlier claimed responsibility for an attack against a Revolutionary Guard convoy near the border with Pakistan.
The February 13 attack killed 27 Guards members.
