Statements of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in a meeting with various segments of the people on the anniversary of the liberation of Khorramshahr

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

I welcome all of you dear brothers and sisters who are present in this sincere and pleasant gathering, and I congratulate the anniversary of the very important and lasting victory in the Khorramshahr front and the return of this city to the bloodied body of the country by the brave and faithful warriors of the army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the Basij forces to all the combatants, the self-sacrificers, and the families of all martyrs and the disabled veterans. Today, this blessed anniversary has become even more blessed and auspicious because it coincides with the day of the beginning of the Imamate and the Guardianship of our Master and Lord, the Awaited Savior, may our souls be sacrificed for him, and may God hasten his reappearance. We hope that this nation and this country will always be recipients of the blessings of the pure supplications of that great figure and the affectionate attentions of that noble Master.

The event of Khorramshahr, from a distance, is merely a historical incident that is exciting and honorable for the Iranian nation; however, up close, this matter resembled a great miracle. When the Iraqi regime, encouraged by the enemy states of the revolution, attacked our borders, it had a precise targeting. Khorramshahr was the first and very effective step of this targeting. Their goal, in summary, was this: they thought that with the victory of the revolution, Iran, firstly, had no armed forces to defend its borders; secondly, it did not have a proper administrative and social organization to defend the country and national interests; thirdly, the revolution had no supporters in the world. On one side was America, the enemy filled with hatred and malice against the revolution—because the revolution had eliminated America's domination over this country, thus they were full of rage and animosity towards the revolution and the Islamic system—and on the other side was the former Soviet Union, which also had other reasons against the Islamic revolution. These two superpowers, who had differences on many issues, were united in their enmity towards Iran and sincerely supported and defended the Iraqi regime! NATO and European powers helped Iraq; they provided planes, bombs, tanks, chemical weapons, helicopters, and missiles. Eastern Europe, which at that time was under the control of the Soviet government and dependent on it, gave Iraq everything it wanted. Thus, on one side was Iraq, supported by America, the Soviet Union, NATO, and the Warsaw Pact—which was the Eastern European alliance and the communist bloc countries—and also the Arab states of the region, which provided money, weapons, facilities, military advisors, and everything the Baghdad government needed to achieve its goals in this attack without hesitation; and on the other side was the Islamic Republic system.

America was against this system and was waiting for it to collapse. The Soviet Union was also against this system; the Europeans had no relations with it and showed no compassion for it; the reactionary governments were also against it in their own way. The financial resources of the country were very weak; the armed forces were disorganized; military equipment was either old and worn out or waiting for parts that they would not sell to us. We had planes but no parts; we had tanks but no parts, and the world would not sell to us; nothing was produced domestically either.

In such a situation, what is the nature of the matter? The nature of the matter is exactly what Iraq had predicted: to come with an attack, first take Khorramshahr, then take Ahvaz, then take Dezful, and ultimately separate Khuzestan from Iran; then start bargaining. They would not return Khuzestan until the end, seize the country's oil resources, and then bring the revolutionary government to the negotiating table from a position of weakness and humiliation. This was the plan of the Iraqi regime and, in fact, the plan of America and the Soviet Union.

Initially, the Iraqi forces made some advances and reached about thirteen or fourteen kilometers from Ahvaz; however, when they wanted to attack Khorramshahr—which was the closer border—they encountered obstacles. The reason was that the popular forces, the faithful youth, and revolutionary men and women entered the field; that is, the revolution began to show itself here; therefore, the enemy became bogged down near Ahvaz. There, the armed forces, the army, and the popular forces stood like a mountain against the enemy, and this was the first slap in the face they received. However, sorrow had gripped the hearts of the Iranian people because thousands of kilometers of the country's territory were under the enemy's boot. I was in those areas in the early months of the war; I saw both the situation of the people and the situation of the armed forces. The armed forces were determined and resolute; however, a heavy sorrow weighed on their hearts. Gradually, the greatness of the popular forces began to show itself. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps quickly organized itself, and the popular and Basij forces gradually formed an organization; that is, the essence of the revolution and faith manifested itself in the will, action, and management capabilities of the people in this dangerous field.

What did the political world—like the United Nations and similar organizations—do to us? The world pressured us from all sides to sit down and negotiate with Iraq and stop the war and resistance. This is one of the points of admonition; our youth should focus on these points. We had a newly established government that had been in power for two years and was facing such a heavy attack, and the enemy was stationed in thousands of kilometers of our land, from the southernmost point to the northernmost point neighboring Iraq; yet, at that time, they told us to come and negotiate! Negotiating from a position of weakness and humiliation and with the opponent having the upper hand in bargaining. If negotiations had taken place that day—which some politicians were pressuring Imam to do—certainly Iraq would not have withdrawn from a large part of our territory, and to this day, Khuzestan and Khorramshahr and perhaps many other areas would still be under the boots of foreign aggressors. But Imam stood firm. Imam's logic was that when the aggressor is in our land and threatens us with the upper hand, we do not negotiate. Negotiations take place when the enemy has withdrawn from all our territory. Today, some dishonorably ignore this truth. Back then, some, including those wretched individuals who fled the country and today have sought refuge in America and Europe and elsewhere, were constantly pressuring Imam through political circles, newspapers, and radio and television—which were in their hands—to negotiate. International delegations were also constantly coming to Iran and saying to negotiate. Imam, inspired by that clear vision, steadfast faith, reliance on God, and strong will, stood firm and said that if we could regain our lands, then it would be time for negotiations; today is not the time for negotiations; and indeed, that is how it turned out.

In such conditions, where sorrow filled hearts and Iraq's taunts filled the world, our forces were not lacking in material resources. When I say lacking in material resources, it is a fact. I do not forget, one of the commanders and martyrs of that day—who today, thanks be to God, is present in this gathering—came to us in Ahvaz with a few others and asked for several mortars to be able to stand and fight in the forward areas; however, there was no one to give them these few mortars! We had problems with barbed wire, bullets, and RPGs; tanks and armored vehicles were another matter. What was at the disposal of the Iranian nation was a strong will and comprehensive enthusiasm that arose from faith and awareness. When Imam said, "Khorramshahr was liberated by God," this is what he meant.

It is good to remember our dear martyr, "Sayyad Shirazi" here. Many of the commanders of that day, thank God, are alive and well today and are fulfilling their duties, while some have attained martyrdom. This martyr and his colleagues in the army and the Revolutionary Guard formed a capable group and planned and executed the operations of Imam Reza, Fath al-Mubin, and then Bait al-Maqdis, gradually demonstrating the effectiveness of the revolution, Islam, and a faithful nation in this very critical region, in front of everyone's eyes. No one in the world believed that our armed forces could retake Khorramshahr; because Khorramshahr was gone. The same scenes that you see today, where the Israelis create in Jenin, were similar to what they created in our Khorramshahr. Of course—as the dear father of martyr "Jahan Ara" said—our youth resisted and kept the enemy at bay for a while. For about forty days or more, our faithful youth and armed forces were able to slap the Iraqi army and push them back; but ultimately many were martyred, and Khorramshahr was seized from the Iranian nation.

When our armed forces, with planning, insight, a will arising from faith, reliance on God, and utilizing all resources—meaning they did not let any part of the resources go to waste—started their movement, no one in the world believed they could liberate Khorramshahr; but they succeeded. When we announced that we had retaken Khorramshahr, for a day or two, the news agencies of the world were reluctant to broadcast this news—they looked at it with skepticism—but this event occurred, and in the end, everyone was forced to acknowledge this victory. In this operation, our warriors captured more than fifteen thousand Iraqi prisoners and sent them to the prisoner camps at the rear of the front. Of course, Khorramshahr was liberated; however, many of our territories remained under the enemy's control. Mehran, Naft Shahr, and hundreds of our cities and villages along the border were seized.

In the meantime, those who were unwilling to take a step for the revolution and the interests of this country, but only knew how to complain and make excuses against the revolution, were still pressuring to end the war. If it were not for Imam's strong and determined will and steadfastness, certainly the war would have ended only with the enemy's victory. The same wicked breaths that were sowing these temptations in the country back then have today resurfaced, and some of them are repeating the same words, asking why you did not accept a ceasefire after the liberation of Khorramshahr?! After the liberation of Khorramshahr, a large part of our territories—our borders and cities—and also a large number of our people were still under the control of the aggressive regime. The threat over our borders was high, and the enemy was being equipped from all sides. The evil of the enemy had to be reduced from our borders; this was a wise perspective. At that time, all the well-wishers of the country, from military officials and others, were proving this logic to everyone. Imam was a logical person, and he decided and acted, and by the grace of God, he was able to bring honor to the Iranian nation.

Those who do not care about the dignity of the Iranian people, the independence of the country, and the honor and dignity that this nation values, have always, both then and now, and throughout the years, tried with their ungenerous and cowardly recommendations to humiliate and weaken the Iranian nation; they always rely on the notion that we cannot! Weakness surges in their hearts; however, they attribute this to the Iranian nation. There is no light of faith in their hearts; they attribute this to the faithful people. This is an injustice to the faithful people. Our nation has proven that when it comes to honor, dignity, and defending the values of the country and the lofty Islamic values, it utilizes all its strength and defeats the enemy.

Some think that when it is said to rely on faith and self-sacrifice, it means to prepare oneself for martyrdom; no. Relying on faith and self-sacrifice means that with the faith that exists in the heart of a person and with reliance on God, all human forces should be activated. These forces can create knowledge, generate experience, produce, and establish the most complex industries, just as they have done. From the beginning of the revolution, wherever we relied on our faith and acted according to the teachings of Islam, we succeeded; whether in the field of science, in politics, in economic endeavors, or in military operations. Where we failed and became stuck in the mud and weakened was when we distanced ourselves from Islam. The enemy has understood this well.

The enemy witnessed the secret of our victory in Khorramshahr and understood that if this nation keeps the flag of Islam and faith raised, it will be victorious in all fields; therefore, they tried to bring this flag down. Today, all of America's efforts and the efforts of the system of domination are aimed at taking away the element of power, strength, and resistance from us; that is, they want to weaken our faith, self-reliance, hope, and unity. A nation that lacks faith and unity and is hopeless about the future will evidently fail in all fields; it will fail in politics, in economics, and in the construction of the country. They want to take these away from us. The first blow they strike is to dishearten the nation.

Today, unfortunately, some have made it their job to constantly magnify the enemy and belittle themselves, to flaunt the enemy's greatness to everyone, and to constantly say we cannot! That is, we, like many countries and governments, should go and be absorbed in the belly of global arrogance! They are mistaken; they themselves are weak and hollow from within—either they were hollow or they have become hollow—worldly pleasures have made them hollow; their worldliness has rendered them worthless and without identity; therefore, they think everyone is like them. No; this nation is capable and hopeful; they should not unnecessarily shake the hearts of the nation and constantly say we cannot and have no power to move. Yes, this nation has the power to move; this nation has Islam; this nation has the very effective tool of faith; this nation has its true and heartfelt unity with the country's officials. This sacred bond of unity, which is strengthened by ties of faith and affection, is rarely found in the world.

By the grace of God, we will overcome the problems and can put the enemy in its place. No matter how strong the enemy is in terms of military equipment, it cannot do anything against a united, faithful nation that has hope for the future. Of course, we officials must fulfill our duties; the government, the judiciary, and the parliament must fulfill their responsibilities. Anyone who today shirks their primary duty and occupies themselves with other matters and avoids fulfilling their responsibilities has committed treason and will be cursed eternally. We officials must keep the Islamic spirit alive within ourselves; we must cast aside the spirit of elitism and remove the chains of greed, wealth-seeking, pursuing personal interests, and materialism from our hands and feet. If our problems in some areas remain unresolved, the reason is these issues; we must correct them.

Some tie themselves with ropes and create knots; they throw themselves out of the capability to be useful for this nation and its ideals, and then accuse Islam, the Islamic system, and Islamic laws. Is there any greater injustice than this?! Some feel weakness in their hearts, or the fierce looks of America frighten them, or the promises of America and similar countries attract their weak and feeble hearts; thus, they are drawn towards America. Then they accuse the faithful nation and the sincere and honest managers of the country that they cannot; therefore, we must surrender to America! Those who talk about negotiating with America either know nothing about the basics of politics or do not understand the basics of honor; it is one of these two. While the enemy frowns like this, speaks arrogantly like this, insults the Iranian nation like this, and explicitly states that it wants to act against this system and this country and its interests, some here, in a humiliating and cowardly manner, say: what should we do; should we go, not go, get close, talk to them, request, plead? This is an insult to the honor and dignity of the Iranian people; this is a sign of lack of honor; this is not statesmanship. They try to give a semblance of political understanding to their actions; no, this is exactly against political understanding.

The Iranian nation has ideals and objectives that anyone in the world who respects these objectives and also respects the Iranian nation has been treated by the Iranian nation over time as an equal and equal partner in negotiations and transactions. We had relations with the Soviet Union, with Europe, and with the whole world. The issue with America is that it does not recognize our Islamic and national identity, and it openly states this. Why do some of the self-proclaimed politicians and intellectuals not understand? It is truly regrettable. A government that explicitly states that it wants to act against the Islamic system and the will of the Iranian nation and allocates a budget for overthrowing this system, to communicate and negotiate with it is both treason and folly!

We ask the Almighty God to guide us all and illuminate our hearts with the light of His knowledge; may He spread the blessings of the blessed existence of the Awaited Savior over all of us and make us among the soldiers, the disabled veterans, the devotees, and the servants of that great figure; may He grant honor to the Iranian nation and bestow His blessings upon the dear warriors and self-sacrificers.

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