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Source: http://www.majalla.com/eng/2013/12/article55247557
The Long Shadow of Iran's Revolutionary Guards
(Majalla-UK) Christian Emery - Since Iranian President Rouhani's election, the Revolutionary Guards have pushed back against his attempt to steer Iranian foreign policy towards a more conciliatory path. Relations between Rouhani and the Guards are now at their lowest point. Revolutionary Guards commander Maj.-Gen. Mohammad-Ali Jaafari issued a strong warning that the government must stand strong against the "enemy's excessive demands." He also accused Rouhani of being under the influence of Western ideas. The real significance of the Geneva deal lies in how U.S. and Iranian diplomats seem to have finally persuaded each other of their good intentions. Yet from Jaafari's perspective, the West, and particularly America, is the enemy; it can only be relied on to undermine Iran and its revolutionary identity. Jaafari holds to the "resistance" narrative that Rouhani explicitly campaigned against. While Rouhani sees concessions as a tactical necessity, Jaafari believes they are neither warranted nor necessary. The writer is a lecturer in International Relations at the University of Plymouth.