Cleric urges govt. to form young, active economic team

Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Movah’hedi Kermani led this week’s edition of Tehran Friday Prayers touched upon issues like economic problems, the anniversary of Operation Mersad, and currency issues.

“Polyphony is not accepted in economic management of the government and it is necessary to use young, active, and united staff in the economic team of the administration,” said the cleric, offering advice to President Rouhani’s administration on resolving economic issues.

He highlighted the economic concerns as very important and said that all three branches of power in the Islamic Republic of Iran- executive branch, legislative branch, and judiciary branch- are responsible to address this issue.

The grand cleric also urged the administration to make necessary changes in the cabinet of ministers to improve the economic issues. “It is heard that some members of the cabinet do not agree with economic policies of the administration; it is not acceptable,” he asserted.

He then referred to the anniversary of the Operation Mersad, “the wretched, vicious and inwardly blind terrorists of MKO thought that they could get into Iran and topple the Islamic Establishment. But, thanks to God Almighty, the Islamic army devastated them and repelled them.”

Immediately after Iranian government accepted the UN Security Council’s Resolution 598 to end the war with Saddam’s regime, troops from the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) terrorist group attacked Iran on 26 July 1988 using their base in Iraq and enjoying the weaponry and equipment supplied by Saddam.

In operation Mersad the Iranian army engaged in combat with the followers of Masoud Rajavi who had previously helped Saddam in the course of the 8 year war and had conducted numerous terrorist attack claiming the lives of around 16,000 Iranian civilians.