Thoughts of Imam Khamenei | Sanctions led to Iran’s self-sufficiency

Pars Today – Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, said that sanctions have enabled Iran to achieve self-sufficiency in many areas where it previously lacked it.

According to Pars Today, citing KHAMENEI.IR, Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, said in a meeting with members of the Iranian government:

“They called them smart sanctions or crippling sanctions, but we see that these sanctions were neither truly smart nor crippling. In fact, these sanctions enabled us to achieve self-sufficiency in many areas where we previously lacked it; they stimulated significant progress in scientific fields; we have witnessed major achievements in industrial, military, and civilian production in Iran; and we have found various ways to neutralize these sanctions.”

Possessing a self-sufficient popular military power
Imam Khamenei also emphasized in a meeting with forces participating in the Zolfaghar military exercise that military power is one of the most essential necessities for a country under threat from major powers. He noted that this is not unique to the Islamic Republic of Iran; all countries that wish to remain protected from the interference of great powers must first have political systems reliant on their people and second possess an efficient, self-sufficient popular military power. However, he added, these powers do not want that to happen.

U.S. failed in its sanctions against Iran
Meanwhile, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with school and university students, said: “America’s goal with the sanctions was to paralyze and hold back Iran. The sanctions were intended to cripple the economy, weaken the country, and keep it behind. What has been the result? The result is that the country’s movement toward self-sufficiency has accelerated. For many years, the Iranian people had become accustomed to importing everything.”

“Now, thanks to the sanctions they imposed, we have become accustomed to first producing and manufacturing everything ourselves. Because we were sanctioned, we were prompted to meet our own needs. So the sanctions actually benefited us, meaning that the U.S. has failed even in this policy. Look—these are consecutive defeats for the American side.”