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IRGC: We Will Not Side with any Presidential Candidate

Ramezan Sharif the spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. (Archive- Tasnim)
Ramezan Sharif the spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. (Archive- Tasnim)
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IRGC: We Will Not Side with any Presidential Candidate

Ramezan Sharif the spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. (Archive- Tasnim)
Ramezan Sharif the spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. (Archive- Tasnim)

Ramezan Sharif, the spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said on Wednesday that his forces “will not side with any candidate” in the presidential election scheduled for later this month.
Iran will hold its elections following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.
The presidential campaign in Iran kicked off last Monday after Iran's Guardian Council, which oversees elections and legislation, has approved six candidates to run for president, including five conservatives and one reformist.
Sharif affirmed his forces “will not interfere” in supporting or opposing any candidate. He also spoke of the IRGC's interest in widespread participation and ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.
The state-run Mehr news agency explained that the statement referred to candidates linked to the Revolutionary Guards, in an implicit reference to Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran's hardline parliament speaker who held senior IRGC positions before engaging in politics.
Meanwhile, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s policy adviser, Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, warned presidential candidates against presenting an “unrealistic” picture of the country's current situation, or promising an ideal atmosphere for the future, and raising the ceiling of people's expectations.

 

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Political Feuds Divide US Congress over How Closely to Stand by Israel

The dome of the US Capitol is seen at dusk in Washington, DC on November 13, 2023. (AFP)
The dome of the US Capitol is seen at dusk in Washington, DC on November 13, 2023. (AFP)
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Political Feuds Divide US Congress over How Closely to Stand by Israel

The dome of the US Capitol is seen at dusk in Washington, DC on November 13, 2023. (AFP)
The dome of the US Capitol is seen at dusk in Washington, DC on November 13, 2023. (AFP)

There were some bipartisan efforts in the US Congress to commemorate the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, but the anniversary also touched on political feuds raging over how closely the US should stand by Israel.

Republicans have pushed steadfast support for Israel even amid its devastating campaign into Gaza. Earlier this year, they heartily welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the Capitol for a speech.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday called for the US to "recommit to stand with Israel in its righteous fight."

He also said that the Hamas attack that triggered the war a year ago had drawn antisemitism "out of the shadows" against Jewish communities around the world.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, was expected to speak later Monday at an event for the Republican Jewish Coalition.

Democrats, meanwhile, marked the day with statements of condolence for the victims of the Oct. 7 attack, but were divided in their continued support for Israeli aggressions. The left-wing of the party has become increasingly critical of Israel’s retaliatory attack that left Gaza in ruins and killed over 41,000 people.

"Instead of securing the release of the hostages, however, Prime Minister Netanyahu has unleashed unthinkable violence on innocent civilians in Gaza," said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Ma., in a statement.

"More than a million Palestinians are facing starvation. We see videos of dead children held in the arms of their parents. Violence is escalating throughout the region, including most recently in Lebanon, threatening even more human suffering."

Meanwhile, the US Treasury sanctioned three people in Europe, a charity group and a bank in Gaza, all accused of helping to bankroll Hamas.

The Treasury says Hamas and its affiliates raise funds through sham charities and as of this year, the group may have received as much as $10 million a month through such donations.

Included in the sanctions: Mohammad Hannoun, an Italy-based Hamas member and his Charity Association of Solidarity with the Palestinian People; Majed al-Zeer, a senior Hamas representative in Germany and Adel Doughman, who is in charge of Hamas activity in Austria.  

Additionally, Al-Intaj, an unlicensed Hamas-run bank in Gaza was sanctioned for allegedly providing services to Hamas.

"As we mark one year since Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack, Treasury will continue relentlessly degrading the ability of Hamas and other destabilizing Iranian proxies to finance their operations and carry out additional violent acts," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said.