President Raeisi: Tehran relies on nation, pins no hope on West

Marking the 43rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi says Tehran has pinned no hope on the West and relies solely on the Iranian people in achieving political and economic independence.

According to Press TV, in an address during Friday Prayers in the Grand Mosalla Mosque of Tehran, President Raeisi said that the country’s foreign policy relies on balance, and progress hinges on unity and convergence.

He asserted that Iran neither accepts to be dominated nor does it want to dominate other nations.

“We neither accept being dominated and giving up our independence nor are we after oppressing anyone,” President Raeisi said.

He hailed the Islamic Revolution as a symbol of “divine power” that mesmerized the world.

“Everyone was then wondering how a nation, by relying on God, can overthrow a regime backed by the so-called great powers and voluntarily establish a government in the name of religion and divine values,” he added.

Raeisi’s remarks come as Iranians from all walks of life took to the streets across the country to celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the former US-backed Pahlavi regime in 1979.

The celebrations began in Tehran and elsewhere at 9:30 a.m. local time (06:00 GMT), with motorbikes and cars driving through the streets in the Iranian capital toward the iconic Azadi (Freedom) Square.

According to Raieis, the same slogans that were chanted by people in 1979 protests should be used today as well.

Back then the slogan “neither East nor West, but the Islamic Republic” was chanted, he said. “Today, the same slogan must resonate as well.”

He noted that Iran has always managed to protect its political independence and that the Islamic Republic plays a decisive role in the region.

The Iranian president also laid emphasis on the justice-seeking and corruption and oppression fighting nature of the Islamic Republic.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Raeisi made clear that disregarding the people equals disregarding the Islamic Revolution, adding that the people are closely connected to the Revolution.

“All different [political] tastes, away from differences, should not allow [national] unity to be damaged,” he noted.

'High hopes for Islamic Revolution'

President Raeisi also said that the ideals of our Revolution are universal, noting that, “Today, not only the great nation of Iran, but also the nations of the world have high hopes for this Revolution, and what everyone wants today is that the revolutionary nature of this establishment be maintained and that it does not rise and fall over time.” 

He further described the Islamic Revolution as independent, freedom-seeking, and justice-seeking.

“The element of justice can never be separated from the Islamic Revolution,” he asserted.

The Iranian president noted that the glorious Revolution does not digest corruption and oppression.

“It is like a person who eats poisonous food and his [digestive system] does not accept poison. In the same way, the [digestive system] of the Islamic Revolution cannot accept oppression and corruption,” he explained.

In contrast, Raeisi continued, the oppressive Shah regime did not have a shred of independence and was a dictatorship brimming with corruption and oppression.

“The Islamic Revolution came around to overthrow this corrupt regime, which was backed by the hegemonic powers, and to establish a system based on religion and what the people have repeatedly shouted: ‘Independence, Freedom, the Islamic Republic,’” he added.

SS/ME