Iran has renewed discussions about "military readiness" to face any threat to the regime, while a cleric in Tehran warned of "enemies working against the Iranian elections." Iranians are set to cast their votes at the beginning of March for the election of members of the "Expert Council of Leadership," which is responsible for selecting the Iranian leader, overseeing their work, and potentially dismissing them.
These elections hold political significance, as they coincide with an unprecedented regional escalation involving armed groups loyal to Tehran, alongside Supreme Leader Khamenei entering his 85th year when the new council members begin their duties in April. Iranian Army Deputy Commander Habibollah Sayyari stated that Tehran "enjoys the highest levels of readiness and preparedness, standing firm against any threats."
According to the state-run Mehr news agency, Sayyari noted that the Iranian military has a "heavy and important responsibility: to defend the integrity of Iranian territory, the independence of the country, and its system." He asserted that "the army possesses a very high level of combat, defensive, and deterrent capabilities, thanks to its trained personnel and updated domestic equipment, which qualifies this force to always be ready to confront any threats from enemies."
Ali Akbari, a Friday prayer leader in Tehran, indicated that "the enemy is taking actions against the elections in Iran, and from this standpoint, we must all strive for strong participation in the voting." It is clear that Iranian officials fear a repeat of the scenario from the last elections held in 2020, which saw limited competition between conservatives and hardline conservatives following the exclusion of reformists and moderates.
The Iranian Guardian Council rejected former President Hassan Rouhani's request to run in the "Council of Leadership Experts" elections; this body is tasked with naming a successor to the current Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Rouhani, aligned with the reformist camp, was a member of the "Council of Experts" for three terms spanning 24 years since 1999.
According to the Tasnim news agency affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard, Akbari stated that "the enemies want to prevent the people from participating in the elections by waging psychological warfare against the populace to demoralize them, as well as distorting security and questioning the legitimacy of the elections." He added: "The enemy is currently attempting to undermine security in Iran, but responsible entities have thwarted many of these conspiracies."
