By Pooya Stone
Iran’s Friday prayer leaders as one of its main speakers about the government’s situation showed last Friday the authorities’ fear about the upcoming events. While many state-run media are trying to show a strong position of the clerical establishment and show that the authorities do not care about the UN ‘snapback’ mechanism, the reality is so bitter that its prayer leaders are forced to show their concerns.
At first, in various cities, they demonstrated the authorities’ fear of social conditions and their critical situation.
Cleric Ibrahim Hosseini said in Saveh, fearing the consequences of the execution of Navid Afkari, said: “Should he be rewarded for taking part in the overthrow against the system, or should he be doubly punished?”
Cleric Qasem Hashemi in Shahinshahr said: “Distorting the image of the armed forces among the Iranian nation and creating security holes is one of the plans of other enemies of the Iranian nation before next year’s elections.”
Mohsen Mahmoudi in Varamin undermined the policies of the Rouhani government and said: “What kind of economic situation is this, and why is the government not accountable and only chanting slogans, by what logic can this economic situation be justified? People condemn this wrongdoing and will not forgive those who have deliberately plundered the people.”
Ali Vahdanifar in Dehdasht expressing concern over the anger of the people said: “The patience of the revolutionary nation has its limits. If the goals of the leadership are not considered, the revolutionary nation will define its task with the liberals, the Westerns, and those who are begging the West.”
In Lavasanat, cleric Saeed Lavasani said: “Activation of the trigger mechanism means the defeat and complete death of the JCPOA, which means the path that we went for seven years and put all the facilities of the nation on it, now we must return that way.
“The mechanism of the Security Council is such that it allows the United States to take such an action, which, although China and Russia have formally opposed it, implicitly acknowledges that a new legal challenge is emerging in the Security Council that will lead to long discussions, of course, it is not in our interest.”
Cleric Hassan Dehshiri in Ardestan said: “The upcoming US and Iranian presidential election has enemies with plans that put the issue of security, livelihood, health, and unity on the agenda to shake (the system).”
Cleric Ali Khatami in Zanjan said: “The enemy has a plan for the next year and is desperate to strike at the system. We must be vigilant and not allow the enemies and ill-wishers of the system to achieve their goals.”
“Today, oil sales, financing, and imports are in trouble, and debtors like China, Turkey, and North Korea are not paying their debts to the country,” said Dori Najafabadi, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s representative in Markazi province.
“The Islamic Republic is in a state of war and the wants to overthrow the system with intense pressure and sanctions from the United States and non-Americans,” he added.
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