What makes the Iranian regime tick? - It is hard to answer this question, since it is a black box from which little leaks out. Unless information from confidential talks and meetings is leaked, as it is now. IranWire recaps a January 3 meeting between Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Revolutionary Guard commanders. And lo and behold, the revolution is leaving a clear mark on the IRGC as well.
At the meeting, for example, the commanders expressed frustration with the ongoing protests and warned Khamenei about the future of the Islamic Republic.
According to IranWire, "agitated elements" within the 600,000-plus-strong corps have even attempted to fire artillery at the Supreme Leader's residence on at least one occasion since the recent protests began in Iran - as frustration grew within the armed forces over the situation.
During the four-hour meeting, many of the 58 IRGC commanders present would have described to Khamenei a concerned assessment of Iran's security situation. Details:
Some commanders confirmed that most of the forces under their command refused to stand against the Iranian people and rejected orders to fire on civilians.
Troop morale threatened to deteriorate, and an increase in conflict among rank-and-file IRGC officers was feared, he said.
According to Mahmoud Mohammadi Shahroudi, commander of the paramilitary Basij Seminars, who also spoke at the meeting, some 5,000 members have left the organization in recent months.
Some commanders explicitly opposed decisions and actions by Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei.
The main topic of the meeting was the decline in the strength of the Islamic Republic - due to a lack of budget and resources.
The commanders also discussed corruption and widespread misconduct among high-ranking forces-almost all commanders agreed that obtaining more funding is critical for the Islamic Republic to continue.
Mohammadi Shahroudi, the commander of the paramilitary Basij students, acknowledged that the rejection of religious dress (hijab) as well as the revolt by students had come as a surprise to the Supreme Leader's representatives as well as jurists and the IRGC's religious-political bodies.
A number of decisions had been made during the meeting, including the release of a large number of prisoners, a 52 percent increase in the budget of the IRGC, military, and intelligence services, and the exemption of all Basij ranks from paying electricity, gas, water, and income taxes.