October 12, 2012
As Iran’s currency crisis continues, both the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps and the Iranian Intelligence Ministry this week accused the West of deliberately inciting economic chaos in the Islamic Republic to destabilize the regime.
Ali Ashraf Nouri, the IRGC’s political deputy, accused the Iranian reformist movements of deliberately focusing on Iran’s economic struggles to influence the outcome of the 2013 presidential elections.
In an interview with the Persian-language conservative website Khabar Online, Nouri said the 2013 presidential election would differ from that of 2009 in that this time, Iran’s enemies were “focusing on the economy, which could affect people’s livelihoods and cause general dissatisfaction.”
“People who face economic hardships will start making demands from the system, and will look for those culpable for the economic chaos,” Nouri said.
“In the wake of these incidents, and in the heart of the protests, a pro-Western candidate whose motto is that he can save the economy will put himself forward. In other words, the suggestion would be that it will be better if you vote for him... Under these conditions, the winner of the elections could be a candidate favorable to the West,” he added.
Nouri’s comments come in the wake of last week’s clashes between protesters and police over Iran’s currency crisis, and amid growing signs that the country’s economy is in serious trouble.
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