Iranian Defence Minister, General Amir Hatami said that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to loosen its grip on the economy.
General Hatami made the remarks in an interview published by a government-owned Iran newspaper on Saturday.
According to The Associated Press, the minister’s remarks will test the public’s reaction to the idea, which has been supported by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani for a long time.
The IRGC is estimated to control about one third of the Iranian economy.
The Revolutionary Guards and Khamenei’s office did not comment on the remarks.
Protests over the country’s weak economy have recently escalated to clashes between thousands of protesters and the authorities.
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