"Attempts to create an atmosphere of distrust and disunity in the country will benefit no one … therefore, those who take their cue from the enemy and try to confront the principles of the Islamic Republic and the constitution should know that their efforts will [fail]", Khamenei told a gathering of the Bassij forces on Wednesday.
The head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) further hailed the role of Iran's paramilitary Bassij force in suppressing the opposition movement in Iran. "Today, the most important and main mission of Bassij is confronting the soft threats and cultural invasion which is stealthily targeting (Iranian) youths", the state-run Fars news agency quoted IRGC commander Mohammad Ali Jafari as saying.
The Bassij force, is a paramilitary element of the IRGC. It is believed that the Bassij force has been at the heart of Tehran's attempts to quash internal dissent, which has taken the form of nationwide anti-government demonstrations in recent months.
