Statements in Meeting with Armed Forces of North Khorasan Province

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and blessings upon the Messenger of God and his pure and virtuous family.

A very sweet and spiritual program has been executed by you dear youth. The pure and vibrant hearts of the youth, when they enter any field—be it spiritual or worldly—spread spirituality and enthusiasm in the atmosphere. One of our dear young ones also recited beautifully. We thank God for allowing us to be present among you dear ones and youth from the Army, the Revolutionary Guard, the Law Enforcement Force, and the Basij in this important and sensitive region of the country.

The responsibility of the armed forces in this region, like all regions of the country, is a serious and decisive responsibility. In every country and among every nation, powerful, organized, and well-trained armed forces are, on one hand, a source of reassurance for that nation, and on the other hand, a safeguard and security provider against foreigners whose aggressive desires compel them to encroach upon this and that. When a nation displays its steel claws and powerful arms in the form of armed forces, the illusion and thought of encroachment upon that country is weakened, and the enemy takes account of its actions.

You dear youth know and should know; in the world, the interests of the arrogant and aggressors lie in fomenting war. Fomenting war has long been a common practice of the powerful and the arrogant who encroach upon the borders of other nations, and in our time—namely, the contemporary era of material civilization—this motivation has intensified due to the sale of weapons and the flourishing of industries dependent on capitalists. The powerful, whether politicians or capitalists behind the arms manufacturing factories of the world, think of creating war and unrest; imposing crises upon nations and countries. What can weaken or eliminate this motivation before it manifests is the preparedness of nations; which is ensured both in the form of the general preparedness of the nation and in the form of the presence of armed forces.

Today, thanks be to God, our dear nation across the country, our youth, our people, feel prepared to defend their country; they feel prepared to advance the country. Our armed forces, who are at the forefront of defense, are today much more prepared and capable than in the past.

My dear ones! Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) has regarded the armed forces as the fortifications of the people, meaning the reassuring walls and ramparts for nations; but he says: "The soldiers are, by the permission of God, the fortifications of the people"; (1) it is by the permission of God.

What is decisive is the divine will. The more the armed forces familiarize their hearts, their pure souls, with the remembrance of God and spirituality, the greater their capability will be, and their deterrent power will increase. You see in the recent wars in this region, in the thirty-three-day war, in the twenty-two-day war of Gaza, small groups triumphed over seemingly powerful armies that boasted about their strength. They were ungrateful to God; they were purely materialistic; but these were spiritual; they had a connection with God. Our own fronts are also the best witnesses to the highest spiritual attentions from the youth. In our trenches, in our defensive lines, during the nights of military attacks, the prayers and supplications of the warriors are among the matters that have been unparalleled in our history, and this will remain in history.

The esteemed officials of the armed forces should prepare these dear youths to be ready warriors, equipped to defend the national dignity, national identity, and the borders of the country and the borders of belief. Today, the Iranian nation feels powerful in confronting its enemies. This feeling of power is not a false feeling; it is a real feeling; it is based on realities. Our enemies know this as well.

We, following the teachings of Islam, are not inclined to aggression and encroachment upon this and that; but we are also not inclined to yield to any aggressor. The Iranian nation and its armed forces are so prepared that they do not allow any thought or illusion of aggression and encroachment from the enemies, and with their preparedness, with their ever-present and ready spirit, they have created such an awe in the hearts of the enemy that what you see in the world from these claims is regarded as mere boasting everywhere. This preparedness must be maintained, strengthened day by day; and know that every action you take to empower, spiritualize, and organize the armed forces is a good deed that God the Almighty will account for.

This region is also a region of brave men whose memory is always alive in the minds of the warriors with a history in the battlefields. We ask God the Almighty for your success from the threshold of His greatness and grace, and we seek for you the success of service and a good end from God.

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

1) Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53