IRGC Mouthpiece’s Rhetorical Acrobatics on Proxy Wars

Since the October 7 Hamas attack against Israel and the ensuing conflict in Gaza, Iran’s state-censored media has reported on a conflict that Iranian officials deny any involvement in. Yet those same officials at times extend rhetorical support to Hamas and praise militia attacks against U.S. forces in the region. Such rhetorical acrobatics, which try to obscure Iran’s role in these attacks yet also attempt to take credit for them, are particularly evident in Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps mouthpiece Mashregh News’ coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

• November 29: Quoting the November 28 United Nations Security Council address of Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s permanent representative to the U.N., Mashregh News wrote:
  • “The illegal presence of the U.S. military in Syria and its continued occupation is the primary source of insecurity in the country and has provided fertile ground for the nourishment of terrorist organizations, both within Syria and the broader region … Furthermore, because of the situation in Gaza, the United States, despite expressing concern over the spillover of the tensions in Syria, tries to misuse the situation and increase tensions and destabilize Syria … the groundless allegations against my country in this chamber,” referencing allegations that Iran supports militia attacks against U.S. forces, “which were repeated irresponsibly by the representative of the United Kingdom, are categorically rejected. These baseless allegations appear to be part of a deliberate effort by the United States to divert attention away from its ongoing, serious violations of international law and the United Nations Charter in the Syrian Arab Republic. I would like to emphasize that the Islamic Republic of Iran has never been involved in any acts of attacks against U.S. military forces in Syria or elsewhere. Iran has consistently upheld its commitments to promoting peace and security in the region.”
• November 29: On the other hand, while addressing “thousands” of members of the Basij paramilitary, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, according to Mashregh News:
  • “The Basij organization has a transnational nature. Basij resistance cells have been established in the region and are changing the destiny of the Middle East. One example of this is the Deluge of Al-Aqsa,” Hamas’ name for its October 7 attack. “A few years ago, the Americans talked about ‘A New Middle East’ … but their plan failed.” Referencing the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, Khamenei said: “The Americans were trying to destroy Hezbollah, but following 33 days of war, Hezbollah’s strength increased tenfold … They tried to devour Iraq but failed … America even tried to prevail in Syria through its proxy forces, such as ISIS or al-Nusra Front … And recently, they tried to end the Palestine issue, but again they failed.”
  • “West Asia is changing according to the principle of de-Americanization, meaning ending American hegemony in the region … Although the Deluge of Al-Aqsa was against the Zionist regime, it served the purpose of de-Americanization. It has disturbed U.S. plans for the region.”
  • Turning to the historical divisions, such as those between Shia and Sunni Muslims as well as Persians and Arabs, Khamenei continued: “Dualisms and dichotomies, such as Arab and non-Arab or the myth of the ‘Shia Crescent,’ have become threadbare … Just look at the Arab and non-Arab Shias, who extended the greatest assistance to the Palestinians prior to and after the Deluge of Al-Aqsa.”
• November 30: IRGC Commander Brigadier General Hossein Salami, addressing the IRGC’s construction arm in Qazvin province, said, according to Mashregh News:
  • “We are honored to be fighting on several fronts … We are fighting against the United States, the Zionists, and whoever targets the greatness, honor, dignity, grandeur, and prowess of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

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