Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - April 16, 2000 - Important Meeting with General Qassem Soleimani and Report on the Notable Meeting of Revolutionary Guard Commanders with Khatami, Including Quotes from Khatami

Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi - April 16, 2000 - Important Meeting with General Qassem Soleimani and Report on the Notable Meeting of Revolutionary Guard Commanders with Khatami, Including Quotes from Khatami

A meeting was held with Gholamreza Forouzan, a member of the Tehran City Council, who expressed concerns about the extremism of some council members. This disarray ultimately led to the dissolution of the council.

An important meeting with General Qassem Soleimani took place, where he reported on the well-known meeting of Revolutionary Guard commanders with Khatami and shared quotes from Khatami.

General Reza Talaii Nik, the newly elected representative from the Bahar and Kaboudar Ahang district, also attended (Talaii Nik is currently the Deputy Minister of Defense and Armed Forces Support).

A delegation from the Islamic Association of K.N. Toosi University raised their political concerns.

Consultative meeting with Seyyed Hossein Marashi and a report on participation in a session of Khatami's advisors.

Media coverage surrounded the arrest of Ahmad Hakimipour and the Guardian Council's resolution regarding the limitations on parliamentary investigations, along with Ayatollah Khamenei's Friday prayer sermons.

The Revolutionary Guard issued a strong statement following Ayatollah Khamenei's Friday sermons against reformists and the government.

Mr. Gholamreza Forouzan came and criticized the extremism of some members of the Tehran City Council, expressing his concerns about the state of the country.

General Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, presented a report on Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Azerbaijan, voicing concerns about the country's situation and the morale of the army. He proposed solutions and stated that during the meeting between Revolutionary Guard commanders and President Khatami, Khatami acknowledged that the country is moving towards secularism but did not specify a remedy.

In the afternoon, Mr. Reza Talaii Nik, the new representative from Bahar and Kaboudar Ahang, arrived. He shared his political and Basij background and expressed his willingness to cooperate. A group from the Islamic Association of K.N. Toosi University attended, discussing issues and questions mainly reflecting the negative propaganda from the Office for Consolidation of Unity, and they criticized the Leader's stance regarding the university dormitory situation.

Mr. Hossein Marashi, the representative from Kerman, came and inquired about the parliament's agenda. I replied that it is still unclear. He mentioned that he participated in a special advisors' meeting with Khatami, where there were concerns about the Leader's harsh reaction, and they intended to ease tensions to gain his reassurance. He noted that Seyyed Mohammad Mousavi Khoeiniha and Mohammad Reza Khatami had a stern stance in that meeting and opposed any compromises, while Khatami managed to reach a good summary, although they suggested delaying any declaration of groups in compliance with the Leader.

Today, newspapers reported on the situation of Ahmad Hakimipour, a member of the Tehran City Council, the Guardian Council's resolution regarding investigations into institutions under the Leader's oversight, and the Leader's statements during Friday prayers, interpreting them as they saw fit. The conflict between the Guardian Council and the Ministry of Interior has also escalated again. The statement from the Revolutionary Guard following the Leader's remarks in Friday prayers has drawn attention from both domestic and foreign political circles; it was very harsh against the second Khordad faction, with BBC describing it as a precursor to a coup.