IRGC Cautions Nation to Keep Wary Eye on US Attitudes
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps on Saturday called on the Iranian nation to be wary of the US ploys and not to fall for the diplomatic posturing of the White House which has said it is ready for meaningful interaction with Iran.
In a statement on the occasion of the Sacred Defense Week, which marks the onset of the Iraqi imposed war on Iran (1980-1988), the IRGC has called on the Iranian nation to be fully aware of the behavior and attitudes of the US officials who, it said, pretend to be eager to have constructive interaction with the Islamic Republic.
The statement described the strategies and scenarios of “the hegemonic system and the arrogance” as complicated and cunning, adding that the apparent eagerness of the White House for interaction with Iran should not be taken at face value.
“Historical experiences make it necessary for the diplomatic apparatus of our country to carefully -- and skeptically-- monitor the behaviors of the White House officials, so that the righteous demands of our nation are recognized and respected by those who favor interaction,” read part of the statement issued on Saturday.
The statement further said the IRGC will support any effort and initiative that is in line with the strategies set forth by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution and in step with the national interests, and that it will share all its effective, interactive capacities with the government.
It comes as the White House said it is open to a direct exchange between US President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the United Nations.
"I think it's fair to say that the president believes there is an opportunity for diplomacy when it comes to the issues that have presented challenges to the United States and our allies with regards to Iran, and we hope that the Iranian government takes advantage of this opportunity," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Wednesday after saying there were "currently no plans" for the two presidents to meet at the General Assembly.
In a separate development on Wednesday, President Rouhani said he has no plan to meet his US counterpart during his next week’s trip to New York to attend the UN General Assembly session, but added that everything is possible in the world of politics.
“Meeting Obama is not on the agenda of my trip, but everything is possible in the world of politics depending on the conditions that emerge,” President Rouhani said in an exclusive interview with American TV channel NBC in Tehran, when asked about the possibility of a meeting with Obama.
President Rouhani will travel to New York on September 22 to take part in the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly, where he is scheduled to deliver a speech on September 24.
The Iranian chief executive also touched on his forthcoming trip’s purposes, saying, “We want to explicitly express our stances towards foreign policy and international issues, including nuclear issues and regional issues in the United Nations General Assembly.”
“We expect that the world would hear our voice very well,” Rouhani explained.
The Iranian president’s remarks came after Obama said Washington was willing to test chances of dialogue with Iran.
“There are indications that Rouhani, the new president, is somebody who is looking to open dialog with the West and with the United States, in a way that we haven't seen in the past. And so we should test it,” Obama said in an interview aired Tuesday by Spanish-language network Telemundo.
