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Iranian Revolutionary Guard Refutes Damning Claims by Ex-General on Terror Connections

Iranian Revolutionary Guard former general Saeed Ghasemi (Arabic Website)
Iranian Revolutionary Guard former general Saeed Ghasemi (Arabic Website)
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Iranian Revolutionary Guard Refutes Damning Claims by Ex-General on Terror Connections

Iranian Revolutionary Guard former general Saeed Ghasemi (Arabic Website)
Iranian Revolutionary Guard former general Saeed Ghasemi (Arabic Website)

Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard, recently blacklisted as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the US, declined statements made by one of its ex-generals on the armed force’s links with terrorist groups and cooperation with al-Qaeda in the early 90s.

Saeed Ghasemi, a retired general who gained notoriety for his role in the Ansar-e Hezbollah militia, revealed in an interview with the state-approved internet channel, Aparat, that in the 90s he visited Bosnia to train Muslim fighters against the Serbs while wearing the Iranian Red Crescent uniform.

In the same interview, Ghasemi admits that he is divulging the fact since the Americans have already discovered the ploy and written about it.

Lambasting Ghasemi’s revelations, Revolutionary Guard spokesman, Ramazan Sharif, said: “Saeed Ghasemi’s remarks, who for a while was in Bosnia voluntarily and has retired a long time ago, are his personal views, devoid of credibility and are not shared by the IRGC (an acronym for the Revolutionary Gaurd),” according to ISNA.

Sharif also downplayed Ghasemi’s comments and said: “These types of comments by Ghasemi have precedents and the responsibility of these comments are on him.” But he also warned Ghasemi and other retired members of Revolutionary Guard to avoid “making irresponsible and untrue claims” and not to provide “excuse and tools” to the enemy.

It is worth noting that the official response is the first in a three-day-long controversy revolving around the Revolutionary Guard’s involvement with al-Qaeda.

President Hassan Rouhani's office also dismissed the remarks, saying that the claims help "the enemy".

The Iranian Red Crescent has also officially dismissed Qassemi's claims and threatened to sue him. "If an individual or a state entity has used the logo or uniform of the IRCS for operations against the aims and principles of the International Red Cross Society, it definitely happened without the permission of the IRCS or in coordination with it," IRCS announced. Even if the IRCS permission was sought, the statement argued, it would have never been given, the relief group added.

"Based on the four conventions ratified in Geneva, the IRCS is impartial in armed conflicts since it has the important responsibility of supporting humanity and civilians," the statement has insisted.

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North Korea Bans Foreign Tourists to Newly Opened Beach Resort

(FILES) Domestic tourists watch as a man uses a slide into a swimming pool at the Myongsasimni Water Park in the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area in Wonsan, North Korea's Kangwon Province on July 2, 2025. (Photo by KIM Won Jin / AFP)
(FILES) Domestic tourists watch as a man uses a slide into a swimming pool at the Myongsasimni Water Park in the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area in Wonsan, North Korea's Kangwon Province on July 2, 2025. (Photo by KIM Won Jin / AFP)
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North Korea Bans Foreign Tourists to Newly Opened Beach Resort

(FILES) Domestic tourists watch as a man uses a slide into a swimming pool at the Myongsasimni Water Park in the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area in Wonsan, North Korea's Kangwon Province on July 2, 2025. (Photo by KIM Won Jin / AFP)
(FILES) Domestic tourists watch as a man uses a slide into a swimming pool at the Myongsasimni Water Park in the Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area in Wonsan, North Korea's Kangwon Province on July 2, 2025. (Photo by KIM Won Jin / AFP)

North Korea is banning the entry of foreign tourists to a recently opened mega beach resort, a move that dims prospects for the complex that leader Kim Jong Un hailed it as “one of the greatest successes this year.”

DPR Korea Tour, a website run by North Korea’s tourism authorities, said in a notice Friday that the eastern coastal Wonsan-Kalma tourist complex “is temporarily not receiving foreign tourists.” It gave no further details including why a ban was established or how long it would last, The Associated Press reported.

North Korea says the complex can accommodate nearly 20,000 guests. The resort opened to domestic tourists July 1 before receiving a small group of Russian tourists last week. Observers expected North Korea to open the resort to Chinese tourists while largely blocking other international tourists.

The announcement came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov flew to the complex to meet Kim and Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui for talks last weekend.

North Korea and Russia have sharply expanded military and other cooperation in recent years, with North Korea supplying weapons and troops to back Russia’s war against Ukraine. During a meeting with Choe, Lavrov promised to take steps to support Russian travel to the zone.

“I am sure that Russian tourists will be increasingly eager to come here,” he said.

But experts say North Korea likely decided to halt foreigner travels to the zone because of a newspaper article by a Russian reporter who travelled with Lavrov that implied North Koreans at the zone appeared to be mobilized by authorities and not real tourists.

“The North Korean government is believed to have determined that it would face some negative consequences when it opens the site to foreigners,” said Oh Gyeong-seob, an analyst at Seoul’s Korea Institute for National Unification.

Oh said the ban would include Russians, but the North Korea-focused NK News website, citing tour groups specializing in North Korea trips, said Russians won't likely be targeted.

Analyst Lee Sangkeun of Seoul's Institute for National Security Strategy said the ban could be associated with difficulties in recruiting Russian tourists because many would consider North Korea too far away and the trip too expensive.

Experts say North Korea must open the Wonsan-Kalma zone, the country’s biggest tourist complex, to Russian and Chinese tourists, given what was likely a huge construction and operational expenditure from the country’s tight budget.

“If foreign tourists aren't allowed to the site, no Russian rubles, Chinese yuans and dollars won't come in. Then, North Korea can't break even and it has to shut down the resort,” said Ahn Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korean Studies think tank in Seoul.

Kim has said the site would be “one of the greatest successes this year” and “the proud first step” in tourism development. North Korea’s state media reports the Wonsan-Kalma site has been crowded with local tourists.

The first group of 15 Russian tourists arrived in the resort July 11 after visiting Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, NK News reported earlier this week.

“It was magnificent. Everything is new, clean and stunning," Russian tourist Nina Svirida said in the report.

North Korea has been slowly easing the curbs imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopening its borders in phases. But the country hasn’t said if it would fully resume international tourism.

Chinese group tours, which made up more than 90% of visitors before the pandemic, remain stalled. In February, North Korea allowed a small group of international tourists to visit the northeastern city of Rason, only to stop the program in less than a month.