Hillary Fears Iran Moving to Military Dictatorship

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed fears that Iran is moving ‘toward a military dictatorship’, with enterprises controlled by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ‘supplanting’ the government, reported AFP.

Talking to students in Qatar, the chief US diplomat said that America was not seeking military action against Iran to rein in Tehran’s nuclear ambitions but only seeking to use global pressure through the UN Security Council, report said.

Clinton said that such pressure ‘will be particularly aimed at those enterprises controlled by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which we believe is in effect supplanting the government of Iran’, report said.

“We see the government of Iran, the supreme leader, the president, the parliament is being supplanted and Iran is moving toward a military dictatorship,” Clinton was quoted as saying while addressing to students at the Qatari branch of Carnegie-Mellon University.

In a speech in Doha on Sunday night to the US-Islamic World Forum, Clinton was quoted as saying: “I fear the rise of the influence and power of the Revolutionary Guard… poses a very direct threat to everyone.”

Last week, the US imposed fresh rounds of sanctions against the Revolutionary Guards and hopes for UN sanctions to target the group responsible for Tehran’s nuclear programme and alleged support to militants in the region.

“I would like to figure out a way to handle it,” she was quoted as saying.

“Certainly we don’t want to be engaging while they’re building their bomb,” Clinton was quoted as saying.

She also said that her talks with leaders in the region showed great concern about Iran and its intentions, said report.

“They worry about Iran’s intentions. They worry about whether Iran will be a good neighbour and live peacefully,” she was quoted as saying.

“I think people have reason to worry. The question is what can Iran do to allay the fears of its neighbours. And yet I don’t see much progress there.”