The commander of the IRGC's Quds Force, Esmail Ghaani (Qaani), has praised former Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian for being the voice of Iran's armed proxies abroad.
On Thursday, Ghaani said, “While everyone was trying to silence the voice of resistance and the young people of the resistance were defending themselves in the battlefield, someone spoke for them on the international stage. That person was Amir-Abdollahian, the voice of the resistance.”
The Quds Force commander’s comments come amid growing concerns of an all-out Israel-Hezbollah war. Alongside the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the heavily armed, Iran-backed Hezbollah group has been exchanging fire with Israel for over eight months.
The Quds Force is IRGC's extra-territorial wing, which controls all armed groups supported by the Islamic Republic. Its former commander was Qasem Soleimani, a notorious operator who oversaw the expansion of Iran's armed proxy groups in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere. He was targeted in a US airstrike in 2020 in Baghdad.
Ghaani made his remarks during the fortieth-day anniversary of Amir-Abdollahian's death. He was killed alongside former President Ebrahim Raisi, in a freak helicopter crash last month. The incident has triggered a snap election to be held on Friday.
While Iran continues its anti-Western and anti-Israeli policy, Ghaani reiterated the Supreme Leader’s red line about negotiating with the US. “Today, as you prepare to elect a new president, it is crucial to choose someone who will continue the path of martyr Raisi and the heroic figures who stood firm and acted decisively,” he stated.
“These men fought against the US and demonstrated that actions can be taken without relying on the US. Be aware that those advocating for solutions through relations with the US are unwilling to fight bravely if given authority; When you speak from a position of authority and power, even the US will be compelled to yield."
On Tuesday, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei subtly indicated his favored presidential candidate by firmly rejecting negotiations with the US.
He asserted, "Some of our politicians believe they must align themselves with one power or another, or that the path to progress necessarily leads through the US; this is a grave misconception. Those who look beyond our borders fail to recognize and value our inherent capacities; naturally, they lack the vision to utilize them."
It essentially disqualifies three of the four approved presidential candidates; Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Mostafa Pourmohammadi, and Masoud Pezeshkian.
Pezeshkian, in particular, is seen as disadvantaged due to his association with former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, the architect of the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA), who advocates for dialogue with other countries, including the US, to lift current sanctions.