Naqdi claimed that Iran under the Shah's rule was subordinate to the American administration, while today the United States subordinates to Iran's dominance in the Middle East.The commander of the Basij paramilitary force of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mohammad Reza Naqdi, vowed that Tehran "will not make any compromises with our enemies in the Middle East."
Speaking in a press conference in honor of the anniversary of the 1979 Iranian revolution, Naqdi emphasized that "the hundreds of Revolutionary Guards generals fighting in Syria will never repeat the mistake of the Shi'ite Caliph Hassan bin Ali who surrendered leadership of the Muslim world to Muawiyyah bin Abi Sufyan."
Naqdi added that "it is impossible to compare Iran to Iran under the Shah's rule, since back then, Iran was subordinate to the American administration, while today, the United States subordinates to Iran's dominance in the Middle East and it cannot act in the region without getting the approval of the Supreme Leader of Iran."
In addition, Naqdi argued that while senior "American officials visit the Middle East secretly, images of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Quds Force, spread across the streets in Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria."
Naqdi also attacked the nuclear deal with the great powers, blaming Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for concealing secret paragraphs of the agreement and making big concessions to the US in exchange for an agreement.
The Basij commander and other heads of Iranian security forces strongly oppose Iran's nuclear deal since it reduces their dominance in the state apparatus and opens Iran to Western influence.