• Source:JND

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi on Monday made a startling revelation amid Tehran's ongoing retaliation against US and Israeli targets, saying that the country's elite force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is acting independently based on orders it got in advance, apparently from slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

While speaking about the attack on Oman, Araghchi said the decision to attack "was not our choice and we have already told our armed forces to be careful about the targets they choose."

Speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera, he further hinted that IRGC is not headless and is acting on orders given in advance.

"As a matter of fact, our military units are now in fact independent and somehow isolated, and they are acting based on instructions - you know, general instructions - given to them in advance," he added.

The remarks by the Iranian Foreign Minister are significant as the IRGC, founded by Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979, directly reports to the Supreme Leader of the country. As Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is no more, the elite force is dependent on the government for orders and, in fact, works according to the instructions of Khamenei.

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It indicates that Khamenei had well planned the measures to be followed in the aftermath of his death.

However, a report by Associated Press suggests that Araghchi's remarks could be an attempt to prevent accountability for attacks directly on the Iranian government, thereby avoiding any hurdle in negotiations to ease tensions with its neighbours.

IRGC, unlike any other force worldwide, is working closely with the regime, independent of the government, with arms in crucial private sectors, including construction, telecom, and ports, among others.

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Directly under the Supreme Leader, it enjoys absolute power, as it controls the country's huge arsenal of arms, bombs and ballistic missile stockpile.

With the top post vacant, IRGC currently has no boss, raising another major concern for the US and Israel until the interim council decides of Khamenei's successor.


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