Indifference of Jihadi Movement May Encourage Enemy Opportunism

TEHRAN (Iran News) Brigadier General Mohammad Zohraei made the remarks on Tuesday night during the 12th Jihadi Memory Night ceremony held at the Sheikh Saduq Hall in the shrine of Abdolazim Hosseini Shrine.

Referring to what he described as the “civilization-building battle between truth and falsehood,” Zohraei said the role of the jihadi movement must be properly defined during this historical period. He described the movement as one of the spiritual achievements of the Islamic Revolution and emphasized its role in civilization-building efforts.

He called the jihadi movement a modern technological innovation of the revolution and one of the spiritual outcomes of the “Second Step” of the revolution. Zohraei added that this capacity must be firmly rooted in its historical position, strengthening not only service delivery but also ideological discourse and public mobilization in favor of the Islamic Republic.

The official described jihadi volunteers as the intermediary link between government efficiency and the public, stating that responsible and non-neutral positioning by jihadi groups in areas where they operate could help strengthen social cohesion and neutralize enemy efforts.

Zohraei also called for expanding cultural activities among jihadi groups, saying that organizing “Memory Night” ceremonies serves as a spiritual covenant among volunteers while facilitating experience transfer and strengthening collective morale.

He noted that jihadi groups have built a strong record in past years, particularly in poverty alleviation efforts, disaster response including floods and earthquakes, and during the global COVID-19 pandemic, when volunteer forces were among the first responders and among the last to leave affected areas after recovery operations.

He recalled the role of volunteer forces during the coronavirus outbreak, saying that when the unknown virus spread across the world, thousands of volunteers were trained and deployed in various fields, including the preparation, washing, and burial of deceased victims, shouldering heavy responsibilities.

Praising the late Ismail Ahmadi as the founder of the program, Zohraei said the deceased had served as a model of mobilization and popularity among jihadi groups through his cultural, media, and field activities. He added that continuing this path would deepen the country’s jihadi culture.

Providing an overview of jihadi groups in Iran, Zohraei said about 62,000 jihadi groups are currently active nationwide, operating at different levels. Approximately half of these groups are mosque-based or locally focused and mainly serve their immediate communities without migration.

He added that some groups are geographically mobile and operate by attracting public and institutional support, maintaining permanent manpower and specialized expertise in areas such as construction, culture, agriculture, and resistance economy in targeted regions. About 16 percent of the country’s jihadi groups—nearly 1,200 teams—maintain long-term presence in specific areas.

Specialized groups are also active in fields such as medicine, veterinary services, education, and resistance economy, while more than 30,000 local groups provide public services under the “Faith-Based Service Movement.”

Zohraei announced that eight underdeveloped provinces had been selected as targets for Nowruz holiday service programs from mid-Ramadan to April 4. Service areas have been identified in advance, and coordination with executive agencies has been conducted to secure materials and initial funding.

He said jihadi volunteers can choose their preferred province and service field based on their capacity and willingness to ensure more targeted and effective operations during the holiday period.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ceremony, Zohraei said about 60,000 jihadi groups have registered and are active on the “Jihadi Atlas” platform.

These groups operate in construction, cultural, medical, agricultural, educational, and energy projects in deprived regions and are increasingly moving toward specialized activities requiring professional certification.

He said various development projects have been designed for jihadi teams. In agriculture, water supply projects for farmers have been implemented and have received positive public response. In poverty reduction programs, agreements have been signed with multiple institutions to support housing construction for disadvantaged populations.

In the employment sector, jihadi groups have worked on establishing small family workshops and small-scale industries in urban and rural areas.

Zohraei also noted the entry of volunteer groups into the energy sector, particularly solar power projects. After receiving specialized training, jihadi teams have constructed solar power plants in areas where solar energy could contribute to electricity generation.

He emphasized that the movement toward specialized professional activities is strengthening, adding that volunteers are obtaining necessary certifications to take more solid steps in promoting the national jihadi service movement.

Zohraei also noted that Iran’s 60,000 active jihadi groups provided significant assistance to the government during disasters such as floods and the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting executive agencies in various operations.