Iranian Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi spoke to a national gathering last week about the prospects that he sees for fruitful negotiations between the Washington and Tehran. The recent election as president of regime-linked conservative cleric Hassan Rouhani – which came after elements in Iran’s government arranged for his opponents to split votes between themselves – has triggered optimism in some corners of the Western foreign policy community.

According to Iranian state media, Naqdi sounded a different note:

Basij commander rejects compromise with US – Commander of Basij (Volunteer) Force said any compromise with Washington will repeat what happened in Afghanistan and Turkey. Today, the US is suffering from disgrace resulted from resistance of the Iranian nation and advocates of the Islamic Revolution in the entire world, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi said while addressing a national gathering.

Naqdi was appointed to his position by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in 2009, boasted that Iran has ‘disgraced’ the United States. His statements come amid deepening concerns over the degree to which Rouhani is genuinely willing or able to moderate Iran’s foreign policy.

By law and politics, Iran’s foreign policy is set by Khamenei, who has banned concessions to the West. In a speech given last week, Rouhani personally thanked Khamenei and the Iranian clergy:

In a speech thanking campaign supporters, President-election Hassan Rouhani said, “If [it] were not for the foresight of the clergy and the Supreme Leader, it would not be clear whether we would witness such a day.” He then thanked former President and disqualified candidate Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani for his endorsement.

Reuters reported last week that Rouhani had spoken approvingly about clandestinely expanding Iran’s nuclear program, and had been positive about how “the world started to work with” Pakistan after it acquired nuclear weapons.

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