Leader Confident of Defeat of Sanctions, Slapping of US

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei addressing a massive gathering of Basij volunteer forces in the 100,000-capacity Azadi Stadium of Tehran on Thursday, October 4, analyzed the present sensitive situation and stressed that the youth are the solution to the country’s problems.

He said: “Through yelling, making cheap statements and [harboring] delusional assumptions, the Americans seek to portray a completely reverse picture of their power and the conditions in Iran; however, the youths of the great nation of Iran are confident of giving the US another slap in the face by thwarting the last remaining ploy of the enemy, namely sanctions; and God willing, they will do it.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution pointed to the dynamic role of the survivors of the tragedy of Karbala, led by Imam Husain’s sister Hazrat Zaynab and his son Imam Zayn al-Abedin (peace upon them) in institutionalizing, universalizing and immortalizing the epic of Ashura and subsequently Arba’een or the traditional 40^th day of the martyrdom. He said: “The epic of Arba’een, which is repeated every year in Karbala with the huge turnout of tens of millions of Iranian, Iraqi and other Muslims from all over the world, is an exceptionally important phenomenon that takes place by the Grace of God and at a crucial time for the Ummah.”

He said the show of might by dedicated Muslim youths and their successive victories in various arenas, as well as efforts of the elite to solving the economic problems, are indeed positive aspects in stark contrast to the raving and ranting of senior officials of the hegemonic US, which shows their frustration.

He described Iran’s greatness, the might of the Islamic Republic and the invincibility of the Iranian nation as three incontrovertible truths, saying: “This is no exaggeration but realities which the enemy wishes the Iranian nation did not know, so that it would depict a distorted picture of the condition of the country and its capabilities.”

Elaborating upon these undeniable truths, Ayatollah Khamenei said “the greatness of Iran is a historical fact. During the 200 years of the joint struggle of the ulema and people (through the repressive Qajar and Pahlavi periods) leading to the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, our beloved Iran has been the frontrunner among Muslim countries in various fields.” 

He said the salvaging of Iran from the tyrannical domination of the US and the UK suffices to prove the might of the Islamic Revolution. He added: “Saving the country from the evil of tyrannical rule and hereditary monarchy, resistance against all plots of the last 40 years and promoting Iran’s credibility and dignity in the region and the world are other manifestations of the might of the Islamic Republic.”  

He recalled how the Islamic system triumphed in the eight-year war imposed on it by the US through Saddam (in the 1980s). He said: “For the first time in recent centuries, Iranians preserved the territorial integrity of the country by defeating the plot of the aggressors to partition a segment of our beloved homeland or to humiliate the nation through maintaining a military presence in Iran.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said the invincibility of the Iranian nation is due to the blessings of Islam, and this invincibility can be seen in the triumph of this great nation during the events of the Islamic Revolution and during the 8-year Holy Defense as well as the continued resistance against all kinds of plots of the last 40 years, because the nation has never sensed weakness and fatigue and never backed down in the face of the enemy’s plots.”

He likened the political and economic battlefield with that of a military war and cautioned against "arrogance" which mars the sense of victory in all arenas. He said: “Becoming vainglorious plunges us into inaction, lack of initiative and want of plans, and would lead to the victory of the enemy.”

He added: "We are still in the early stages and must proceed on the path of progress in order to reach the pinnacle of glory in line with the objectives of the Iranian people and the Revolution, through effort, struggle judiciousness, courage, prudence, and the proper use of facilities."

The Leader devoted a significant part of his speech on the role of youth in the developments of the past forty years, stressing, “Dear young people, you must know that you are the tip of the arrow of a great national movement [and] you have to clear the way. Veterans can be your guides, but you youths are the locomotive of this train.”

He pointed to the decisive role of the youth in the struggle against tyranny before the victory of the Revolution, during events leading to its victory, while confronting the separatists in the early years of the Revolution, during the struggle against hypocrites, traitors and terrorists in the early 1980s, during Saddam’s 8-year US imposed war, during the post-war reconstruction era, while thwarting the enemy's cultural invasion in the 1990s, and during the scientific endeavours and the great leap forward.

Ayatollah Khamenei said: “In recent years, our youths have been leading the struggle against Takfiri terrorism; and today also offer mature and productive proposals with a sense of motivation and duty and as part of an intellectual and practical struggle, and with the aim of undoing the economic knots.”

He said the existence of tens of thousands of young diligent groups throughout the country and their unceasing services, especially to the poor, is a great asset that heralds a better future.

Ayatollah Khamenei described the youth as owners of the country, saying: “Some people think that I am not aware of the deviancies of some of the young people, but these young people are among the outcasts misled by outside forces, and my praise and admiration for the youth stem from sufficient knowledge of such issues.”

He criticized those who disregard the decisive role of the young people in the country's present and future, adding, “Such people want to depict the youth as a problem for the country; however, I stress with conviction that young people are the country’s solution and not the country's problem.”

He emphasized that the path to the country's progress is clear, but this road contains obstacles and ups and downs which have to be surmounted. He said, "There are some conditions to treading the path to progress and removing the obstacles in this course, the first step of which is, understanding and sensing the existence and presence of the enemy, because so long as one does not feel the presence of the enemy, it will not build a trench and equip itself with protection and weapons.”

Ayatollah Khamenei added, "Of course, the self-proclaimed hedonistic, hypocritical and insincere intellectual who basically denies the enmity of the US and writes out prescriptions for the Iranian government and nation to surrender to the US, if not a US agent, is not the man for the course of the country’s progress.”

He said the second condition for following the path of progress is "self-confidence and resolution to stand," adding: “Dispirited, cowardly, disheartened, lazy, opportunistic and self-deprecating people, even if they themselves do not become an obstacle for others in this field, can make no use of themselves.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed: “Of course, the youth of the country, whether during the Islamic Movement or at different stages over the past 40 years, have not been afflicted by this blight, and have always been self-confident and courageous without the least doubt, fear and cowardice.”

He said: “Drawing the correct inference from the enemy's threat and having a proper perspective of the battlefield as the third condition for moving along the path of progress and in overcoming obstacles. The first battleground is ‘Islam and Islamic faith,’ because the US has been dealt a decisive blow by Islam and the Islamic Revolution, which ended its hegemony in controlling all affairs in Iran.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution took note that “some naïve people say no ill should be spoken of the US lest it indulges in hostility against Iran; whereas, the fact of the matter is that the American grudge does not stem solely from the Iranian nation’s slogan of “Death to US”, but they are opposed to the very principle of Islam and the Islamic Revolution, because they are dead scared of the rise of a great Islamic and Revolutionary power in the region and are, therefore, trying to eliminate the elements of the country's might.”

He emphasized that the goal of the hegemonic front is to deal blows to the elements of Islamic Iran’s power, saying, “Social stability, national security and unity, adherence to the principles and standards of the Revolution, the continuation of progress in the scientific fields, the expansion and deepening of Revolutionary and Islamic culture, missile defense technology and presence in the region are elements of the Islamic Republic’s might, and enemies seek to undermine these elements of power.”

He said the correct understanding of the realities of Iran and the world and not falling for misrepresentations as another condition for overcoming the obstacles to progress, adding, “Those wishing the Iranian nation ill and bearing grudge toward it seek to use media tools, especially modern media, to portray a false image of Iran, of the region as well as of themselves; in a bid to divert Iranian public opinion from the realities.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said one of these false depictions is "inculcation of the notion that the US is in a position of power, while the undeniable fact is that despite their hard power the Americans do not possess actual power, because the main and decisive factor determining power in global showdowns is soft power, meaning logic and reasoning – fields in which the US is extremely weak and only resorts to bullying tone due lack of logic and reasoning.”

He referred to the disgrace that US liberal democracy has fallen into and the spread of criticism of it around the world, saying: “That is why the US, despite being an atomic power and possessing advanced technology and abundant financial resources, has failed in many regions, including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan and Afghanistan, while more defeats await it.”

He pointed to the deceitful and unrealistic image of Iran portrayed by the enemies and said: “By distorting realities about Islamic Iran, they are trying to force their false opinions upon the world public opinion.”

The Leader said US officials are harboring some fantasies in their imprudent heads, as is evident by what the US President (Donald Trump) recently told some European leaders that if they wait two or three months, the Islamic Republic of Iran is finished.

He pointed out: “These fantasies remind people of the remarks 40 years ago by the Americans and their minions inside [the country] when they gave each other the glad tidings of the overthrow of the Islamic Republic in six months, but now the Islamic Establishment is more than four decades old.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said the wishful thinking of the hapless US president is a result of his failure to understand the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian nation and the people’s faith and revolutionary fervor, stressing, “This misanalysis has misled the Americans over the past forty years and we must be grateful to God for decreeing that the enemies of the Iranian nation are from the ignorant and the witless.”

He said: “Indeed, we have economic problems and flaws like the oil-based economy, absence of the culture of conservation and prodigality in our society, but these are not real defects; the real flaw is deadlock, which we do not have.”

He deplored that some are trying to inculcate the notion in the minds of the youth that there is no solution other than turning to the enemy for refuge by claiming the country is facing an impasse and the only way is to kneel before and surrender to the US.

Ayatollah Khamenei said: “I explicitly declare that those (inside the country) who promote this idea favored by the enemy, are committing the highest acts of treason against the country and the nation.”

He expressed confidence: “Of course, this will not happen, and so long as there is life and strength in me, I will not let such a thing happen in the country with the help of God-granted power and with the accompaniment of the people and the youth.”

He emphasized the necessity of recognizing and presenting the true image and status of the country and the Iranian people, saying: “Seasoned politicians and judicious political minds of the world have admired the Iranian nation for its forty years of resisting pressures and achieving progress by evolving into an influential power.”

He listed Iran’s abundant geographical, climatic, manpower, underground and surface resources as the other realities, adding: “We have not used these capacities properly, and I instruct authorities to identify and tap these capacities.”

The Leader described faithful youths as Iran’s manifest power, saying: “The real image of the country is represented by these faithful youths who have shown their defensive, scientific, cultural and social abilities in different arenas.”

He turned to the issue of US sanctions, saying: “The imposition of sanctions means the enemy has reached the dead-end and sees no other way of countering Islamic Iran except through sanctions, but these are more fragile than our national economy.”

He was confident: “Iran’s national economy can defeat the sanctions, and we will defeat the sanctions with the help of God-granted strength. The failure of sanctions means the US defeat, or another slap in the face for the US by the Iranian nation.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran’s large number of popular Basij force, which has turned into role model for several countries, is another aspect of realities of Islamic Iran. He added: The Basij, is one of the prominent features of Iran’s real image that not only does not back down in the face of enemy threats but increase in faith and resistance. That explains the fear and opposition of the enemy and its agents, vis-à-vis the Basij.”

Among the other brilliant realities of Iran, he cited regular visits to the former war zones by faithful citizens for understanding the sacrifices of the Iranians during the 8-year Holy Defence, the nationwide marches on important occasions, the E’tekaaf or seclusion in the principle mosques for prayer and supplications during certain days of the months of Rajab and Ramadhan, and of course the 2-month long mourning ceremonies of the Iranian nation for Imam Husain (AS) the Martyr of Karbala.

Ayatollah Khamenei dedicated the final section of his speech to the massive gathering of Basij forces at the 100,000-capacity Azadi Stadium by pointing to the enemy's attempts to influence public opinion through the social media, saying: “Media is an important tool, and in the hands of the enemy it is a dangerous instrument which can be likened to chemical weapons in military conflicts.”

He noted the enemy’s use of radio, TV, the Internet, social networks and cyberspace against the nation's public opinion and addressing those responsible for the communications sector, said: “As already cautioned in face-to-face meetings, pay close attention to these issues and, by seriously fulfilling your duties. Do not become an inadvertent tool for the enemy to use its chemical weapons against the people.”

He also emphasized the necessity of unity, steely resolve and a sense of power, saying “Through the strong presence of the nation, especially the faithful youths, on the various scenes, and harmony between the people and authorities, the enemy must be given a message of strength because if it does not see itself facing a powerful body, it make grow insolent and bold.”

He stressed: “These facts of the country indicate that the nation and its young generation have decided not to be humiliated anymore, not become a follower of foreign powers and the enemy, and take beloved Iran to the height of dignity and glory. By the grace of God, they have the determination and ability to do this.”

The Leader of the Revolution said today’s congregation at the 100,000 capacity stadium freshens memories of the huge gathering of Basijs in the mid1980s, adding: “God willing, you beloved young people will also succeed in the fields of science, economic activity and progress, entrepreneurship, personal and social endeavours, social and cultural networking as well as the necessary fire-at-will projects.”

AS/MG