In recent statements and speeches, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commanders have emphasized that the Islamic Revolution in Iran is only the first stage on the path to the spread of the rule of Shi'ite Islam in the Middle East and worldwide, and that the mission of advancing the Islamic Revolution to these heights falls to the IRGC commanders.

The commanders reiterated the argument that the U.S., the leader of the "world of arrogance," opposes Islam, and thus also Iran, which is, they say, the standard-bearer of the Revolution and its global vision. The U.S., they added, is acting to sabotage the plan to institute Islam worldwide, and is doing so by infiltrating the circles of decision-makers in Iran in order to impregnate them with Western cultural values and spark internal disputes among the Muslims. This is aimed at changing the direction of the Revolution and diverting it from its path. However, the robustness of the Revolution remains, they said, thanks to Iranian Supreme Leader 'Ali Khamenei and the IRGC.

The following are translations of recent statements by senior IRGC commanders on this matter:

IRGC Commander Ja'fari: "We Are On The Path That Leads To The Rule Of Islam Worldwide"

On March 11, 2017, IRGC commander Ali Ja'fari said of the worldwide Islamic regime: "The history of Iran is replete with agreement on the Rule of the Jurisprudent [velayat ] which has [already] crossed Iran's borders, and the united Islamic nation is being formed... We are on the path that leads to the rule of Islam worldwide."[1]

On March 15, 2017, Ja'fari added on the same subject: "The Islamic Revolution is aimed at creating an infrastructure of the religion of God on earth, and it will wait for no man on its path advancement. All [Iranian] officials must adapt to the accelerated progress of the Revolution.

"The Islamic Revolution is now in its third stage – that is, [the stage] of assembling the Islamic government, and with God's help it will pass this stage successfully despite the ups and downs that constantly occur.

"As IRGC commander, and as one of the commanders during the era of the Sacred Defense [i.e. the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war], I believe that today the young people's yearning to unconditionally defend the Revolution has expanded greatly relative to the era of the Sacred Defense. Their repeated requests to play a role alongside the defenders of the holy places indicate this.

"The religious seminaries and the IRGC bear the joint mission to advance and deepen the Islamic Revolution. This is God's promise for the salvation of humanity, and we are charged with it. The senior revolutionary clerics and the IRGC will without a doubt actualize God's promises, while implementing a comprehensive plan of the Islamic Revolution for shaping the picture of the Islamic world.

"Our internal spiritual and material potential for creating [such a global regime], and the robustness of the [Iranian] regime, which constitutes the main nucleus of this plan, are expanding in might. According to the words of [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini, if the revolution and the regime stop on the path, this will cause damage to Islam."[2]

On April 30, 2017, at a teachers' conference, Ja'fari said: "Some [people] have a flawed perception of the Islamic Revolution, for they think that its aim was only to defeat the regime of the Shah and to establish the Islamic regime [in Iran]. [But] if we look at the words of the Imam [Khomeini], we will discover a correspondence between the Islamic Revolution and the spread of the religion of Islam. In order to build the Islamic regime, there is no other path but to advance the Islamic Revolution... As the Imam said: If this Islamic regime is defeated, Islam is defeated.

"The framework of our activity is the Islamic Revolution, and first we must know what its aims are... The external dimension of the Revolution is based on the principle of Islam [as] derived from the lesson of the Ashura. This is in effect the principle of enmity towards evil and enmity towards the arrogance [the West, led by the U.S.]. This is actualized by means of the Islamic awakening against evil, and it is waged in the best possible way thanks to the Leader [Khamenei], who is its standard-bearer."[3]

Supreme Leader's Representative In The IRGC Saeedi: "The Islamic Revolution Is The Prelude To Islam Becoming Global"

Similar statements were made on March 15, 2017, by Ali Saeedi, Supreme Leader Khamenei's representative in the IRGC: "There is no doubt that the Islamic Revolution is a prelude to Islam becoming global. Therefore, the Revolution must be strengthened in the best possible way, in order to create the framework for the revelation of God's promise."[4]

Deputy Qods Deputy Force Commander Esmail Qaani: "The Main Aim Is Global Rule"

On March 1, 2017, IRGC Qods Force deputy commander Esmail Qaani said: "Without a doubt, our martyrs and those of the dear ones like you Fatimiyyoun[5] will not settle for less than the global rule of the Imam Mahdi. Our martyrs inaugurated a great path. Syria and Aleppo are the temporary aims, and the main aim is global rule, which I hope is not far off."[6]

IRGC Navy Commander Fadavi: "Today We Are Fighting Not At Home But Thousands Of Kilometers Beyond [Our] Borders"

IRGC Navy commander Ali Fadavi said on March 3, 2017: "Today, the thinking of the Islamic Revolution has expanded. Today, we are fighting not at home, but thousands of kilometers beyond [our] borders. Although our equipment does not compare to that of the enemy, with the blessing of faith in God and the martyrdom-seeking spirit, the enemies will fear us."[7]