As much criticism for the involvement of the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and the Basij para-military forces in political affairs has been going around in Iran in recent years and critics call such interference to be contrary to the constitution and contradicting the guidance of the founder of the Islamic Republic ayatollah Khomeini, the country s current leader ayatollah Khamenei through recent remarks approved the interference of the military in politics by calling the Basij a "political" entity.