TEHRAN — The commander of the Civil Defense Organization has described the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as one of the pillars of the country’s national power, saying such power has not been gained easily, therefore it must be defended wholeheartedly.

In a message on Tuesday on the anniversary of the IRGC establishment 41 years ago, Brigadier General Gholamreza Jalali said the IRGC has taken great steps in a path filled with obstacles.

The shortcomings should not be an excuse for attacking and undermining the IRGC because “undermining the Guards is undermining national power,” he said, according to Fars.

The IRGC was established on April 21, 1979, months after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, with the order of Imam Khomeini in order to protect the principles, values, and ideals of the Revolution.

Last year on this day, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the commander in chief, promoted Hossein Salami to the rank of major general and named him the commander of the IRGC.

Salami replaced Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari who held the post since September 2007.

It came two weeks after the IRGC was blacklisted by the U.S. as a “foreign terrorist organization”.

In retaliation, the Iranian Supreme National Security Council named the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) a terrorist organization.

MH/PA