The head of Iran’s Basij domestic militia on Wednesday alleged that the recent renaming of the US Department of Defense to the Department of War signals that Iran and Israel are pursuing new wars.
Gholamreza Soleimani, commander of the Basij, said at an event in the holy city of Mashhad that the move reflects America’s intention to “ideologize its army” on a global scale, according to Iranian state media.
The group he leads, formally called the Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed, is part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a sprawling military body which oversees Tehran's support for armed affiliates in the Middle East.
"The renaming of the US Department of Defense to the Department of War shows that (Washington) has stationed its forces worldwide to threaten nations and seeks to ideologize his army. The future of nations will be shaped by war,” Soleimani said.
“The enemy has imposed not only military and media wars on Iran but also an economic war—our front-line fighters today are producers and merchants,” he added.
Problems at home
In September, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order rebranding the Department of Defense to the Department of War, its name for nearly 160 years before 1947.
The move aims, in the administration's framing, to refocus US military attention on deterring foes and winning wars but has not yet been ratified by Congress.
Iran is currently grappling with high inflation and rising prices amid the reimposition of UN sanctions last month, which the government claims have little effect on the economy or markets but have throttled the Iranian currency.
The IRGC is reeling from a punishing 12-day June war in which its top leadership was assassinated in Israeli attacks and its missile stocks were largely destroyed.
'US may collapse soon'
The Basij commander, whose force is under US sanctions, alleged that Iran is among the countries labeled as threats by the United States and Israel.
“America and the Zionists see five main threats: China, Russia, Venezuela, Bagram Air Base,and Iran—a historical irony,” Soleimani said.
In September, Trump also demanded that the Taliban return control of Afghanistan’s Bagram Air Base to the United States, warning that “bad things are going to happen” should it not comply.
“If America fails to achieve its goals by 2025, its global power will collapse,” Soleimani added. “This echoes the words of Zionist lobbies, which shape the thinking of America and Trump.”
The Basij was sanctioned by the United States in 2011 for human rights violations and has been accused by human rights groups of torture, rape and repressing peaceful protests with deadly force.
