High voter turnout on March 1 will be an ultimatum to enemies: IRGC

The chief commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says the maximal participation of Iranians in upcoming elections on March 1 will send a strong message and an "ultimatum" to enemies.

“On Friday, March 1, we’re going to face the enemy with another ultimatum,” Major General Hossein Salami said during an event in the southern city of Shiraz on Friday.

As with their lively participation in the nationwide marches that marked the anniversary of the 1979 victory of the country’s Islamic Revolution earlier in the month, “the people’s presence before the ballot boxes is going to serve the enemy with another hefty punch in the mouth,” he said.

Iran is gearing up for parliamentary and Assembly of Experts’ elections, which are slated to be held on March 1.

Almost 15,000 candidates have been approved to compete in the parliamentary elections that are held every four years. In the Assembly of Experts elections, 144 candidates are vying for 88 seats at the body, which elects and oversees the activities of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and is in a position of authority to either appoint or dismiss the Leader.

On Sunday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei called for massive turnout in the upcoming polls, saying that the path of reform passed through elections. Ayatollah Khamenei said everyone had to participate in the elections, describing the event as “the main pillar of the Islamic Republic.”

Ayatollah Khamenei: Path of reform passes through elections

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei calls for massive turnout at the upcoming elections across the country, saying the path of reform passes through elections.

Elsewhere in his address, Salami said the enemy is trying to turn all arenas into a battleground for the Iranian people, Salami said.

“We have put behind a tough [stage in] history,” the commander said, adding, “Whatever nation would break down under and be overwhelmed by the hazards that the enemies created for this nation.”

“We [however] have become seasoned [now], and have realized that we should enter the battlefield against great powers,” he noted.

Before the Revolution, Iran used to depend on Western countries for the provision of its most trivial needs, Salami said.

Today, though, all of the Iranian people’s daily needs are met inside the country, he said, reminding that the country had now advanced as far as placing satellites in orbit.

The Iranian people are “moving speedingly towards the pinnacle,” the commander said, adding that God helps this nation to pass every stage behind “proudly.”

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