TEHRAN, Iran — The chair of Iran's Expediency Council, Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, delivered the following remarks Aug. 10 at the 33rd Summit of Managers and Heads of Education in the Country, organized by the Ministry of Education:

Today, you can see that Germany and Japan have the strongest economies in the world. These same two countries were prohibited from having military forces after the Second World War. When a country is at war, it spends so much money on its military. With no military spending, these countries could use that extra money on science and production and were able to create a science-based economy for themselves. As a result, they are no longer fragile. The door has been opened to a similar process in Iran. Managers, teachers, and concerned citizens should use this opportunity. I am sure that we can get there during President [Hassan] Rouhani’s second term.

In due time, radical and conservative media outlets and figures began to heap harsh criticism on Rafsanjani's remarks. Those not inclined to look upon Rafsanjani favorably seized the opportunity to attack him.

Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was among the first to criticize Rafsanjani. On Sept. 8, Hajizadeh said, “If he dares to go without his bodyguards for a few days, then he can claim that the country does not need military forces.” Hajizadeh also remarked that one of Iran’s major problems is the absence of any kind of “political redline,” asserting, “Individuals are willing to say anything or do anything in order to achieve their political objectives.”