Statements at Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) Marine Sciences University in the Graduation Ceremony of the Islamic Republic Army Officers

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, especially the Awaited One on earth.

I congratulate all of you dear youth, both the graduates of the Islamic Republic Army officer universities and those who are beginning this blessed path; the sight of thousands of righteous and faithful youth from the Islamic Republic Army universities makes every wise person more hopeful for the future. The heavy burden of the country's future issues rests on the shoulders of the youth, and you dear youth who are now engaged in this blessed role have taken on one of the important, sensitive, and heavy parts of this public burden. We hope that, God willing, throughout your sweet and successful lives, you can carry out this great responsibility in the best possible manner.

My dear ones! Today, the army uniform is a blessed uniform; today, the responsibility of the army is a responsibility that brings honor; you defend a country, you defend a nation that is the flagbearer of freedom and justice in the world. There are many people in various countries who love justice, but the opportunity to express their belief in justice and freedom from the clutches of global arrogance is not open to them. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, in our dear country, there is the privilege that the nation expresses its resistance against global oppression and global arrogance in a clear voice, without any concealment; this is the reason for the enmity of the arrogant powers with Islamic Iran and the Iranian nation. You defend this nation, you defend this country with all your being and with your deep religious and patriotic feelings; this is a great honor; cherish and preserve this honor.

Dear youth! Today, the world witnesses a widespread oppression from the global usurping powers; you observe that our region and many other areas of the world are currently embroiled in problems that are the handiwork of global arrogance. We speak about the global oppressor powers without any taqiyyah (dissimulation) and with complete clarity. Today, the policy that the arrogant powers, led by the oppressive and tyrannical America, have adopted is a policy of wickedness; they have defined their interests in creating instability in many regions of the world, especially our region - the West Asia region; this is their policy; they have defined their interests in such a way that there should be war in this region, civil wars, brothers should turn against each other, and terrorism should spread in horrific forms in the region; this is the policy that America, with the help of the Zionist regime and unfortunately with the help of some regional countries, is pursuing. Their goal is that no Islamic power should rise in this region; that is their goal. They know that the message of Islam is the message of defending the oppressed and the deprived, and the policy of global arrogance is to create deprivation and oppression for nations; therefore, they are afraid of the emergence of an Islamic power. This is why they are active in this region; creating civil wars, creating insecurity, creating instability, and creating terrorism is unfortunately the definitive policy of America today. In the face of this policy, the Islamic Republic stands with all its might.

Dear ones! It is astonishing for the wise people of the world that the Islamic Republic, relying on God the Almighty and depending on national power, has been able to defeat America in most of its objectives in this region. This is not something we say here; this is something that political analysts around the world acknowledge and are astonished by; this is a reality. The arrogant powers, more than what they actually have in capability and authority, advance their agenda through threats, frowns, and displays of power. If a nation is not afraid of these threats, if it does not flinch from these frowns, if a nation trusts in its own power, is assured, and courageously steps into the field of truth and justice, it forces the superpowers to retreat and defeats them. And this has happened; the Islamic Republic has been the target of American sabotage and its accomplices for forty years; what has happened in these forty years in the Islamic Republic? The Islamic Republic has transformed from a slender sapling into a flourishing and fruitful tree; despite the arrogance of the arrogant powers and America, the Islamic Republic has been able to attract the hearts of the Islamic nations to its message; it has been able to confront America's plots in this region with defeat; Syria is one example, Iraq is another, Lebanon is yet another. The nations of the region have tested their power of resistance against the plots of arrogance; the Iraqi nation stood with courage, the Syrian nation presented itself with sacrifice in the field; these are signs of God's power and signs of the truth of God's promise that says: "O you who have believed! If you support Allah, He will support you and plant firmly your feet;" (Quran 47:7) He granted victory and stability.

My dear ones, my youth! You are today the guardians of this nation's security, you are today the protectors of the land, air, and sea borders of this country; increase your readiness as much as you can, employ your initiative. The army today is very different from the army twenty or thirty years ago; the army has made great progress today. Make it so that when the heavy responsibilities of the Islamic Republic Army fall on your shoulders, the youth of today, the students of today, and the graduates of today, you advance the army beyond what it is today, increase the army's honors; this is something you can do. "And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of tethered horses by which you intimidate the enemy of Allah and your enemy;" (Quran 8:60) Your readiness, your display of power, forces the enemy to retreat, frightens the enemy; this is the command that the Quran has given us, we must increase this readiness day by day. I have complete hope in you; I believe everything that has been said about the faithful youth and their spiritual readiness in this field; I know you have the power of resistance and steadfastness, you have the motivation for it, and you will, God willing, employ this ability, this readiness in various fields - whether in the scientific field, organizational field, battlefield, or in various advancements - and you will show it.

My dear ones! Be careful that the enemy's temptation does not affect the public space of life, that the enemy's infiltration does not disrupt the unified ranks of the faithful youth. In all sectors - today in the virtual space and in other areas - the enemy is very active. Of course, the enemy's efforts are desperate; this can be fully understood from their words; however, they are trying. You must stand firm, you must show your readiness and power, you must employ your initiative and motivation in various sectors; God the Almighty will assist you. God willing, the future of the army with the presence of you faithful youth will be a better future, and the eyes of the Iranian nation will be brightened.

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