Esmaeil Kousari

Esmaeil Kowsari (Persian: اسماعیل کوثری‎, born 3 March 1955) is an Iranian military officer and conservative[4] politician who was the deputy chief of Tharallah Headquarters, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps unit responsible for maintaining security in Tehran.[5] Kowsari was a member of the Parliament of Iran from 2008 to 2016, representing Tehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr.[5]

Sardar

Esmaeil Kowsari
Kousari speaking at Islamic Society of Engineers' monthly gathering, February 2016
AllegianceIran
Service/branchIslamic Revolutionary Guards
Years of service1980–2008; 2017–present
RankBrigadier general
UnitSarallah Headquarters
Commands held27th Mohammad Rasulullah Division[1]
Battles/warsIran–Iraq War
Member of the Parliament of Iran
In office
28 May 2008 – 28 May 2016
ConstituencyTehran, Rey, Shemiranat and Eslamshahr
Majority431,771 (38.33%)
Personal details
Born
Mohammad Kowsari

c. 1955 (age 65–66)
Tehran, Iran
NationalityIranian
Political partyFront of Islamic Revolution Stability[2]
Other political
affiliations
Alma materImam Hussein University

As of 2014, he was the head of the Iranian parliament's committee on defense and national security.[6] He was also a special commission for examining the JCPOA member.[1]

Views

He is an outspoken critic of President Hassan Rouhani and his administration,[7] as well as the nuclear negotiations leading to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, terming it "wasting time".[8] Kowsari was among Delvāpaṣ (lit. 'Apprehensive') attendees of the 2014 landmark anti-nuclear deal conference named "We're Worried", held at the former Embassy of the United States, Tehran.[9]

According to The Wall Street Journal, the music on hold for his office telephone is the famous song with the lyrics “America, death to your deceit! The blood of our youth is dripping from your claw”.[10] He called Javad Zarif's handshake with the U.S. President Barack Obama an "unrevolutionary act" and called for his impeachment in October 2015.[11]

Kowsari has rebuked reformists, stating in 2013 that Iranians "fundamentally no longer trust" the faction.[12]

References
  1. Donovan, Marie; Melvin, Ryan; Pendleton, Caitlin (2 July 2017), "Iranian President and Parliament at Odds Over Nuke Deal", Critical Threats Project, American Enterprise Institute, retrieved 2 July 2017 – via Newsweek
  2. Sadeghi-Boroujerdi, Eskandar (25 January 2013). "What are the Endurance Front's choices ahead of the presidential election?". Al-Monitor. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  3. Luciano Zaccara (2014), "Elections and Authoritarianism in the Islamic Republic of Iran", in Mahmoud Hamad; Khalil al-Anani (eds.), Elections and Democratization in the Middle East: The Tenacious Search for Freedom, Justice, and Dignity, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 153–178, ISBN 9781137299253
  4. "Iran News Round Up". Critical Threats Project. American Enterprise Institute. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  5. "Esmail Kosari takes over security role in IRGC". Tehran Times. 2 July 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  6. Qaidaari, Abbas. "More planes, more missiles, more warships: Iran increases its military budget by a third". Al-Monitor. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  7. Sinkaya, Bayram (July 2016). "Continuity and Change in Iranian Politics after the Nuclear Deal" (PDF) (45). Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies. p. 7.
  8. Tabatabai, Ariane (4 April 2015). "Don't Fear the Hard-Liners". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  9. Esfandiari, Golnaz (6 May 2014). "'We're Worried,' Say Hard-line Opponents Of Iran's Nuclear Deal". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  10. Eqbali, Aresu; Fitch, Asa (24 February 2016). "Iran's Moderates Seek to Capitalize on Nuclear Deal for Election Gains". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  11. Faghihi, Rohollah (27 October 2015). "ANALYSIS: Political heckling gone too far in Iran". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  12. Fulton, Will (23 July 2013). "Rouhani and the Revolutionary Guards". Critical Threats Project. American Enterprise Institute. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
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