One of the balancing acts for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been to engage Western countries in extensive negotiations over their nuclear program without opening the door to deeper Western influence in Iran. Minus last-minute tactics by Republicans in Congress, the Iranian nuclear deal now seems a done deal, and Iranian officials are welcoming foreign and Western investors. These investors — and the tourists and products they will bring along with them — have the potential to open up a country that has been increasingly isolated due to US, EU and UN Security Council sanctions.

The potential for Western or foreign influence poses a problem for conservatives in the country, who would like to maintain the country’s Iranian or Islamic values. During his speech with commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Sept. 16, Khamenei talked about the importance of preventing this influence. He warned that one of the paths the enemy would pursue is to influence society and weaken the beliefs of people. He described the enemy as “world arrogance, with America being the complete symbol of it.”

Khamenei advised that “the path to confront this type of influence is to arm the IRGC with the strong logic of the revolution through increasing its persuasive, logical and expressive strength regarding the Islamic Revolution.”

Khamenei accused foreign countries of saying that Iran is an influential player in the region while at the same time saying that Iran must put aside its revolutionary ideals if it wants to be part of the world economy. According to Khamenei, “These two propositions are contradictory, because our strength and influence is due to our revolutionary actions, and naturally — if we put that aside — we will become weak.”