In a meeting with military commanders of Iran on Wednesday, April 17, the Islamic Republic Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said, "Any action that makes the enemy angry is appropriate and correct; whereas, any move that makes them more aggressive and stronger in spirit must be avoided."
Referring to Washington's recent decision to designate the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist group, Khamenei maintained, "The gesture of fraternity between the Army and the IRGC that came after the U.S. blatant act against the IRGC, was exquisite."
After years of deliberation, President Donald Trump decided on April 8 to designate the IRGC as a foreign terrorist group.
In a statement on April 8, Trump announced that he had designated the IRGC as a "Foreign Terrorist Organization," adding that the Iranian paramilitary forces' designation "makes crystal clear the risks of conducting business with, or providing support to, the IRGC. If you are doing business with the IRGC, you will be bankrolling terrorism."
Several Army and IRGC commanders have so far strongly condemned Washington's move against the paramilitary entity.
Khamenei was meeting with senior Iranian military commanders ahead of the National Day of the Army.
During his speech, Khamenei did not miss the chance to express his dissatisfaction with France, calling it a dictatorship.
While praising the Iranian regular Army as "elements of national power", Khamenei asserted, "Of course, in many countries, even in the countries that claim to advocate freedom and human rights, the armed forces are agents of dictators’ authority, and confronting the nations, an example of which can be seen in the case of Saturdays in Paris [the Yellow Vests anti-establishment movement in France]."