Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution in a meeting with a group of personnel and commanders of the Air Force of the Army

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

First of all, I must congratulate this great day to all the personnel of the Air Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran and also to the Iranian nation.

What happened on the nineteenth of Bahman in the year 57 (1979) was undoubtedly a turning point. A group of Air Force personnel, with a spontaneous movement - which represented the culmination of all the feelings and thoughts within that force - took action that dealt the final blow to the dying body of the tyrannical regime. It was both a very courageous act and a very intelligent one. Such events, occurring at the right time, can sometimes change the fate of a nation or accelerate their path to their destiny. The Air Force did this on that day; it was a very significant movement; it opened the way for many people. As stated in the beautiful song performed by these dear ones, "I was the first to give my heart to the leader," this was indeed the case. This movement was deeply rooted; it was not a spur-of-the-moment thought; as I mentioned, it was a culmination of everything that was going on in the Air Force, of feelings, thoughts, and rationalities, which manifested in this way at the appropriate time. Therefore, this day is an important day; it is a very blessed day.

Revisiting historical events is fundamentally aimed at ensuring that the lessons and admonitions from them remain for future generations. The lesson of this incident for the Iranian nation is a living lesson throughout all eras. A courageous, powerful action, relying on self-confidence and arising from a correct rationality and an inspiring faith. If there had been no faith, this movement could not have occurred. The entirety of our revolution from beginning to end is a manifestation of such a truth: a correct and intelligent thought, accompanied by inspiring faith, courage, and action, and not fearing what may come in this path. These are the main elements that elevate a nation; the absence of these elements humiliates a nation.

The Iranian nation endured a difficult time during the era of tyranny. This nation, with all its honorable historical backgrounds, was humiliated by foreigners. The army was humiliated, the nation was humiliated, the officials of the country at all levels, even the highest levels, were humiliated, and the elites of society were humiliated; by those elements who considered themselves above all this and viewed Iran as a field to be harvested, trampled, grazed, and taken away. The Iranian nation stood against this.

The Islamic Revolution replaced the humiliation imposed on this nation by foreigners with dignity; it replaced that bitter and humiliating dependency with independence; it replaced submission and subservience to foreigners with resistance and power. At that time, the officials of our great country were submissive to foreigners in various levels and in the most fundamental issues of the country; meaning that in any matter that the will of foreigners - first the British, then for several decades the Americans - was involved, it was realizable within the country; as far as it was in the hands of the officials of this country. And the nation had to endure; absolute submission. The revolution transformed this state of submission into a state of power and resistance; it turned dependency into independence; it turned humiliation into dignity; it transformed the illogical, hereditary absolute rule (monarchy) into the government of the people and democracy. The revolution completely destroyed the destructive foundations of humanity that had been established by the tyrannical regime over many years, which undermined human values; it built new foundations that created a new identity for the country.

The army also acquired a new identity. Today, the identity of the army is completely different from the identity of the army during the era of tyranny. Today, you are the guardians of the people's interests; at that time, the army was obliged to safeguard the interests of the monarchy and the tyrannical regime and the corrupt and vile elements ruling this country. Today, you feel dignity in front of the enemy; you build yourselves, you learn, you research and investigate; at that time, you had to accept whatever they gave you with closed eyes. These are the factors that, when a nation embarks on this path, elevate it to the heights of progress and greatness. Therefore, the Iranian nation found the path of advancement and moved forward. We also paid the costs; this nation knew and knows that it must pay a price for its ideals; one cannot reach the heights without paying a price. We paid this price, but with God's grace, we moved forward.

Today, the Iranian nation is dear; it is inspiring; the Islamic Republic system is recognized as a powerful system, and various countries, different powers - both regional and trans-regional - are compelled to acknowledge the greatness of the Iranian nation and recognize this nation's greatness. In all areas, the Iranian nation has demonstrated its capabilities and power. This must be appreciated.

And you dear youth who are serving in the Air Force of the Islamic Republic, you must consider these elements in the continuation of your work and pursue them. The Air Force must grow, must advance, and must multiply the power and dignity it has achieved. During the Sacred Defense era, the Air Force provided a good test; after the Sacred Defense era, significant work has been done in this force. You must continue this path; the path of evolution is never to be halted, and this depends on the determination of you young people in various ranks in the Air Force. The future belongs to you; the country belongs to you; the army and the Air Force belong to you, the personnel of the Islamic Republic Army and the Air Force; and your progress is the progress of the nation, the progress of the country. Empower yourselves; this empowerment is not only about material tools; it is the power of faith, the power of will, and a resolute determination to advance; strengthen this within yourselves; progress day by day.

Thanks be to God, the nation is serious on this path. They have tried hard to break the will of the nation through various means, but they have not succeeded. What is important and very hopeful is that we have been continuously moving forward for these twenty-eight years; there has been no halt. All the political maneuvers, various movements, different responsibilities in different periods, all amount to a systematic movement forward for the Iranian nation; and this will continue. The enemy tries hard to stop this movement; but they have not been able to and will not be able to. And today, they confess this. If you follow the global news, you will see that today all tones in political circles, in decision-making centers and in global power centers, are tones of praise for the Iranian nation. Of course, some are hostile and filled with malice or jealousy, while others, here and there, are filled with admiration and satisfaction; this pertains to the officials of countries and politicians, but regarding the nations, generally or mostly, it is the latter; the nations are enamored with the Iranian nation. Whenever the officials of the country appear before Muslim nations and even in some cases before non-Muslim nations, they observe this admiration. This is due to the steadfastness of the Iranian nation, and this will continue.

The remembrance of the revolution that our nation cherishes is for this reason; it is to show that the motivating and dignity-giving factor that set the Iranian nation on this proud path is alive in the hearts of our people. We have the 22nd of Bahman (February 11) rally ahead; you will see that our dear nation will enter the global arena this year just as in previous years, and even more passionately than before - each year more fervently than the last. This presence of the people in the 22nd of Bahman rally should not be underestimated; it is a very significant matter. Compare the anniversaries of revolutions, the anniversaries of national days in other countries with this massive movement of the people in our dear country. The anniversary of our revolution is not a dry and formal ceremony; it is a completely popular ceremony. The people participate in the harsh cold, in the scorching heat, in all conditions, wherever it is necessary to be present, and every year on the 22nd of Bahman, the nation considers this opportunity valuable and enters the field, showcasing their presence to all enemies and opponents. This is seen worldwide. They may express it differently in words, in tones; they may introduce the crowd as small; they may claim that millions are merely a few thousand in their propaganda; such things happen in propaganda; but those who need to understand the state of the Iranian nation do understand; they see the realities; they feel the presence of the people, the will of the people, the attachment of the people to the revolution, and the connection of the people to the great content of the revolution.

The 22nd of Bahman and the rally on that day are manifestations of national power; they are manifestations of the power of the Iranian nation; they are manifestations of the people's presence and the national will and determination of the Iranian nation, where men and women, old and young, come to the streets in all conditions and present themselves across the country before the eyes of the onlookers; this is very magnificent.

I would like to say a word regarding the issues of the country and a word regarding the important issues currently facing the Islamic world.

What pertains to the issues of the country, the most important issue is the issue of elections. Elections are one of those very sensitive and decisive arenas. If you observe each of these election periods, analyze them, you will see that in each of our elections - whether parliamentary elections, presidential elections, or some other elections - at every stage, the orchestrators of the hostile propaganda of global arrogance have sought to diminish the presence of the people; to reduce their motivation; to diminish their determination and hope regarding the elections. Of course, thanks be to God, they have not been able to. This indicates the importance of elections. Those who speak of democracy, popular sovereignty, and people's rights and use this as a pretext for imperialism, committing massacres, and creating disasters, are helpless in the face of the popular sovereignty of the Iranian nation. This is an unsolvable problem for them. They do not know what to do with this incident, what to say. They support coup regimes, hereditary regimes, and countries where the people's votes have never been a reference for forming a government, and then in the face of the Iranian nation, which freely enters the arena and elects the legislator, the executor, and the fundamental responsibilities, what can they say? What can they do in front of the eyes of the world? They are forced to either say there is no freedom or say the people did not participate, or if they can, to cancel the elections altogether; as was the case when their efforts, through some deceived elements, were to completely cancel the elections, so that no elections would take place; but by God's grace, they could not do this; however, their intention was there. This shows the importance of elections.

What is very important in elections is the public presence of the people; everyone must participate in the elections; this is a national duty; it is not something that changes with the presence of different governments, the coming to power of various currents, or different factions. Elections are an obligation; everyone must participate; everyone must feel obliged to participate in the elections. There should be no excuses. Some of the statements are excuses. Sometimes the excuses are genuine, and sometimes they are to discourage the people. Elections in our country, compared to the elections we see in the world and are aware of, are among the healthiest; they are good elections.

Of course, I have advised the election officials, and I advise them now: they must strictly adhere to the law. The limit and boundary is the law. Everyone must accept the legal requirements and submit to the legal obligations. The law is the dividing line between right and wrong in the movement and conduct of the nation and the officials. The law should not be circumvented. This must be observed; thanks be to God, it is being observed. We also recommend that they observe the law with more care and precision; that no one is wronged, that no one's rights are violated; that the rights of the people on the other side are not violated, so that unworthy and corrupt individuals are introduced as worthy, and worthy individuals are not deprived of their rights and are not introduced as unworthy. These are the observances that everyone must adhere to. However, what is essential is participation in the elections; everyone must participate in the elections; this is a public duty.

Of course, there is still time until the day of the elections, and I will have more remarks for our dear nation until then. I mention this so that those who think about elections, speak about them, make policies, implement them, and take action, follow their work with attention to the importance of this issue.

Regarding the issues of the Islamic world, we believe that today the issue of Palestine and the tragedy of Gaza is a public issue; it does not belong solely to the people living there; it belongs to the Islamic world; it belongs to all of the Middle East; in a sense, it is an issue that pertains to all nations.

There is a completely wrong and criminal Middle Eastern policy from the United States government. Their Middle Eastern policy is entirely based on securing American interests in this region; whatever happens to the nations of this region is of no importance. That is, tens of millions or hundreds of millions of people living in this region, their interests are of no concern; they can be trampled, humiliated, killed, mourned, and their life pressures can break them; it does not matter, as long as American interests in the region are secured. This is the foundation of American policy in the Middle East. This is, of course, nothing new; the nations know this, and the governments know this; however, at the same time, one sometimes observes that there is a shortcoming in the behavior that should be taken against this policy.

The people of Gaza, the people of Palestine, today stand with power; they deserve admiration; truly, this nation should be praised. Under this immense economic pressure on one side, and the aggression, massacre, and disaster creation, and various attacks, bombardments on women and children on the other side, this nation stands firm. Their goal is to create a separation between this nation and their elected government and to do whatever they want to execute that policy. They held that historical conference - which was a very disgraceful conference for this region - and the result was this. The result of sitting with the Americans and the usurping Zionists and negotiating and making decisions about the region is this. The President of the United States came to the region and left, and this fire fell upon the people and women and children of the Gaza region; this siege, this massacre.

What benefit is there in negotiating with them - while their goals are clear in this region? Islamic governments must decide; the siege of Gaza must be lifted. The people and government of Egypt have a great responsibility in this regard; all Muslim nations must also assist so that the government and people of Egypt can fulfill their duty in this regard. To create a large prison of one and a half million and to torment women, children, and babies with hunger, thirst, lack of fuel, and lack of warmth in the harsh winter, to destroy their farms, to ruin their orchards, to eliminate their trade; they should not stop at this; they should also carry out aerial and ground attacks. Is this bearable? The usurpers and their supporters should not be able to use other elements from the Palestinians against these oppressed people. If such an event occurs, this disgrace will remain on their foreheads forever. Arab governments should not be able to exploit this situation. This is a very important issue.

The path that the Palestinian people have chosen is indeed the correct path; that is, the path of resistance, the path of standing firm, and this is what will ultimately save the Palestinian people.

We hope that God Almighty makes us all aware of our duties. May He assist, guide, and support the Islamic nations on the right path; may He guide the Islamic governments on the right path. God willing, we Muslims can solve the problems of the Islamic world ourselves and, with solidarity, unity, and cooperation, God willing, thwart the enemy. We hope that God will unite the souls of our dear martyrs with the martyrs of the early Islam, with the Prophet and Imam Hussain (peace be upon them), and may He unite our great Imam (may his soul be sanctified) with his saints.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.