In preparation for the celebration of “Sacred Defense Day” on Sept. 22 (the date Iraq invaded Iranian territory in 1980), Iranian leaders have been meeting the commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). On Sept. 16, President Rouhani gave a carefully worded speech that was designed not to antagonize the elite force, while pointing to a potential strategic shift.
Rouhani praised the IRGC’s economic activities, but at the same time, he urged the IRGC only to engage in large projects so that it does not compete with the private sector. Rouhani underlined this point: "Today, in conditions in which our economy is a target [of sanctions], the IRGC must enter into action and take on three or four large national projects … The IRGC is not a rival to the people and the private sector … The IRGC today must take on important projects that the private sector is unable to take on."
