Statements at the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza on the First Day of the Year 1392

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, our prophet, and the beloved of our hearts, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure, chosen, and infallible descendants, especially the Awaited One among the inhabitants of the earth. Peace be upon the pure and chaste Fatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of God, may peace be upon her, her father, her husband, and her children.

I extend my greetings and congratulations to all the dear brothers and sisters who have gathered in this warm and enthusiastic assembly. I sincerely thank God from the depths of my heart for granting me the opportunity to once again, for another year and another Nowruz (New Year), meet and converse with you in the presence of the divine sanctuary of His Holiness Abal-Hassan al-Ridha (peace be upon him) among the dear people of Mashhad and the esteemed pilgrims who have come from various corners of the country. We beseech the Almighty God to guide our hearts and tongues, and let that which pleases Him flow from our hearts and tongues. This is also a great blessing that every year, alongside the joys and beauties that Nowruz brings in nature, we have the opportunity to reflect on the current issues of our country, evaluate our present situation, and look back at our past and forward to our future; to conduct a general assessment of our national income and expenditure over the past year, to account for our national soul, our public soul. Just as in personal matters, self-accountability is necessary for us — as it is said: "Hesab (account) yourselves before you are accounted for"; we must account for our actions and personal movements — national accountability is also an important and valuable task; we must assess ourselves, reflect on what has transpired, learn lessons from it, and benefit for the future.

Dear brothers and sisters, please pay attention that we, the Iranian nation, are not the only ones who look at our own issues and evaluate them; there are others who study our actions; they judge and comment on our issues, our actions, our measures. There are nations that benefit from our experiences, some others are engaged in studying the conditions of the Iranian nation; they rejoice at our advancements, they are happy with our successes; if we achieve victory, they feel victorious; if there is bitterness and disappointment in our affairs, they become disheartened. There are others in the world who scrutinize our actions, studying our work; they, on the contrary, rejoice at our missteps, feel disheartened by our successes, they are ill-wishers of the Iranian nation; these too keep a close watch on our actions. These are primarily those who have had everything in this country at their disposal for many years, who have dominated all affairs of our country; the revolution has curtailed their power; therefore, they are hostile to the revolution, to the revolutionary people, to the revolutionary government, and to the revolutionary system. Thus, we are under the observation of a large community of humanity; they watch our actions, they measure our deeds.

Therefore, as we look at our performance and our past and future plans, our perspective must be realistic; our evaluations must be accurate. Some of our own people, when they look at the state of the country, only see the weaknesses; they see inflation, they see the decline in production in some of the country's production units, they see the pressures from the enemies. This perspective is a flawed one. I have a different view. When I look at the state of the country and our nation, I see a vast field of challenges in which the Iranian nation has emerged proud and victorious despite the enemies.

There are weaknesses, there are problems; in the aggregate of events and occurrences in the country, there are bitter experiences; but some powerful materialists in the world have tried with all their might to paralyze the Iranian nation; they have openly stated this. That incompetent woman who was responsible for the foreign policy of the United States declared boldly that they want to impose sanctions on the Islamic Republic that would paralyze Iran! This was stated explicitly. And now I will explain what their activities and actions were, what happened, and where it led. Therefore, on one hand, there is the enemy's effort in this vast arena and the great field in which the Iranian nation is engaged in challenges and confrontations with the enemy; on the other hand, there are significant achievements that demonstrate the capacity, power, and intelligence of this great nation. When one observes this scene, it resembles the scene of powerful athletes competing, where there is effort, toil, and fatigue, but a champion emerges victorious in this field; everyone admires and praises him. This champion in this grand scene before our eyes is the Iranian nation. Anyone who sees this scene correctly and studies it accurately will praise the Iranian nation; just as today we hear the voices of admiration from the insightful and discerning minds of the world, who, among those countries that are enemies and ill-wishers of the Iranian nation, political elites, academic elites, and experienced individuals who observe the situation, commend the Iranian nation. This is the arena that is before our eyes. Therefore, merely focusing on the weaknesses is incorrect. We must see how the entirety of these efforts at the national level is being carried out and what conclusions it leads to. With this perspective, when we look at the scene, we must praise Iran and the Muslim Iranian.

We said that some are saddened and upset by the progress of the Iranian nation. Who are these people? I will explain this later. The enemies who do not wish to see the comprehensive progress and growth of the Iranian nation have two main objectives in their agenda: one is that as much as they can, they create obstacles so that the nation cannot achieve these advancements and growth; through sanctions, threats, and distracting the managers with secondary and trivial matters, diverting the attention of the great Iranian nation and the elites of the country to tasks that are not on their main agenda; that is, practically obstructing.

The second task is to deny the advancements in their propaganda. Today, there is a vast propaganda network with thousands of media outlets of various kinds in the world working to prove that no progress is being made in the Iranian nation, to deny the victories of the nation; if there are weaknesses, they amplify and highlight these weaknesses in front of everyone; but they conceal the strengths and points of vitality that manifest themselves throughout the country and in every corner from the eyes of the public.

The President of the United States speaks in an official address about the economic problems of Iran; as if he is talking about his own victory; that yes, the national currency in Iran has depreciated, the economic problems are thus and so. Of course, he has not mentioned the strengths of this nation, the positive and constructive efforts being made in this country, nor will he ever do so. For thirty years, we have faced such challenges — I will later say a word about this thirty-year period — but the challenge that the Iranian nation faces today is several times greater than before.

The year 1391 that has passed was one of the most active years for our enemies in this regard. They said they want to paralyze the Iranian nation with sanctions. If the Islamic Republic stands firm, is vibrant, and is progressing, they will lose their credibility in the world; therefore, they must not allow it; and if they cannot manage it, at least they should reflect this matter differently in their propaganda. They are intensifying these two tasks today; both practical obstruction — through pressure, threats, sanctions, and the like — and through propaganda efforts to downplay the points of strength and exaggerate the points of weakness.

I mentioned that there are enemies. Who are these enemies? Where is the main den of conspiracy against the Iranian nation? The answer to this question is not difficult. Today, for thirty-four years, whenever the name "enemy" is mentioned, the minds of the Iranian people turn to the United States. It is good for the American officials to pay attention to this point and understand that the Iranian nation has seen things over these thirty-plus years, has gone through stages, that whenever they say enemy, the minds of the Iranian people turn to America. This is a very important issue for a government that wants to live with dignity in the world; this is a matter that deserves attention and careful consideration; they should focus on this issue. The center of conspiracy is here, the basis of enmity is here.

Of course, there are other enemies that we do not consider in the first rank: the Zionist enemy also exists, but the Zionist regime is not in a position to be seen among the enemies of the Iranian nation. Sometimes the leaders of the Zionist regime even threaten us; they threaten military action; but I believe they know themselves, and if they do not know, they should know that if they make a mistake, the Islamic Republic will turn Tel Aviv and Haifa to dust. The wicked British government also harbors enmity against the Iranian nation; this is one of the traditional and old enemies of the Iranian nation; however, the British government plays a complementary role to America in this arena. The British government has no independence to be considered an independent enemy; it is a follower of America.

Some other governments also have enmities. I find it appropriate to say here that the officials of the French government have also shown clear enmity towards the Iranian nation in recent years; this is a foolishness on the part of the French officials. A wise person, especially a wise politician, should never have the motivation to turn someone who is not his enemy into an enemy. We had no problem with the French government, with the country of France; we had no problems historically, nor in the present; but the wrong policy since Sarkozy — which unfortunately the current French government is also following — is enmity towards the Iranian nation. In our view, this is a wrong, unwise, and foolish act.

When the Americans speak, they say "the international community." They have labeled a few countries as the "international community"; at the head of which is America, followed by the Zionists and the British government and some other minor governments! The international community is in no way seeking enmity with Iran and the Iranian people and Islamic Iran.

Now, as we are to look at the year 1391, let us say that from the beginning of the year 1391, the Americans began their new programs; although they expressed friendship in words, sometimes they expressed friendship towards us — in letters and messages and the like — sometimes in the media they expressed friendship towards the Iranian nation, but contrary to these unrealistic statements, in practice, they tried to impose strictness on Iran and the Iranian nation; they imposed severe sanctions from the beginning of the year 1391 — oil sanctions, banking sanctions, and monetary transactions between the Islamic Republic and other countries — they did a lot in this regard.

This is one of the subtleties of the world that the Americans act hostilely and say you do not understand that we are hostile to you; they oppose and harbor animosity, expecting the Iranian nation not to realize that they are adversarial and hostile! This policy has been ongoing since the late Bush era against Iran, and unfortunately, the American officials continue the same policy today; the same iron fist under the velvet glove. A few years ago, here beside the shrine of Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha (peace be upon him), in this same speech on the first of Farvardin, I said be careful that your expressions of affection, your expressions of friendship and agreement do not mean that you have put a velvet glove over an iron fist and want to pretend to be friendly while harboring animosity in your heart. The Americans sent a special envoy to stop the sale of oil and the transfer of money to Iran. They dispatched prominent and special individuals from America to contact countries, travel to countries; even to speak with the heads of companies to prevent them from pursuing economic connections related to oil with the Islamic Republic; to punish them for having financial relations with the Islamic Republic, for having monetary relations, or for trading oil; they began this work from the beginning of the year 1391 and especially from Mordad, with full intensity. They expected Iran to cease its scientific growth activities in response to this planned movement that they were pursuing with intensity and to submit to the bullying of America.

Of course, let me say this — I have said this once before a few months ago — that the Americans expressed happiness and said that someone admitted that the sanctions had an effect. Yes, the sanctions were not without effect; they want to be happy, let them be. The sanctions ultimately had an effect; this is also a fundamental flaw in ourselves. Our economy suffers from this flaw of being dependent on oil. We must separate our economy from oil; our governments must include this in their fundamental programs. Seventeen or eighteen years ago, I told the government that was in power at that time and the officials to do something so that whenever we wished, we could close the oil wells. The so-called "technocrats" smiled in denial, saying is that possible?! Yes, it is possible; it must be pursued, it must be acted upon, it must be planned. When the economic program of a country is connected and dependent on a specific point, the enemies focus on that specific point. Yes, the sanctions had an effect, but not the effect that the enemy wanted; I will now explain this issue. This was regarding the economic aspect.

In the political arena, throughout the year 1391, they tried to isolate Islamic Iran in the world; that is, to create instability in the relationship and perception of governments towards the Islamic Republic and not allow the Islamic Republic to expand and implement its policies at the regional level, at the global level, and within its own country. This effort faced complete failure. In international matters, their attempt was that since we had the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran, they wanted to make this summit weak and light; for not all to participate, or not to participate actively. Exactly the opposite of what they wanted happened. Two-thirds of the nations of the world are members of the Non-Aligned Movement. Heads of states participated in Tehran, high-ranking officials attended. Everyone praised Iran, everyone expressed astonishment at the scientific, technological, and economic advancements of the country. Everyone felt admiration and praise for the Iranian nation; they told us this, they said it in their interviews; when they returned to their countries, they all confirmed this. Exactly the opposite of what the enemies of the Iranian nation wanted happened; they could not exert influence.

In terms of domestic politics, their goal with these sanctions was to create hesitation among the nation in their path; to create a rift between the Iranian nation and the Islamic system; to dishearten the people, to make them hopeless. On the twenty-second of Bahman, the Iranian nation, with their dense presence, with their enthusiasm, with the sentiments they expressed towards Islam and the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic system, dealt a firm blow to their faces. In the security arena, they also attempted to disrupt the security of the country — the details of which the officials have explained to the people in interviews and speeches — but there too they were unsuccessful. In the political arena in the region, they experienced once again the power and influence of the Islamic Republic. In regional matters, it reached a point where they admitted that without the presence of Iran and without Iran's vote, no major problem in the region will be solved. In the case of the Zionist regime's attack on Gaza, the powerful presence of the Islamic Republic behind the scenes led them to admit that they were defeated against the Palestinian fighters; they said — we did not say, they said and insisted — that if the Islamic Republic's presence had not been there, the Palestinian fighters would not have been able to resist against Israel, let alone bring Israel to its knees; that in the eight-day war, the Palestinians were able to bring Israel to its knees, and this was the first time in the history of the formation of the fake and usurping Zionist regime.

We said that their efforts were not without effect; yes, they were not without effect, but alongside the negative effect, a significant positive effect that we anticipated also occurred; that is, the sanctions led to the activation of the internal forces and the immense capacity of the Iranian nation, talents emerged, and great works were accomplished; which would not have happened without the sanctions. Thanks to the sanctions, we were able to undertake great works; our youth achieved successes that we certainly would not have attained without the sanctions. In terms of infrastructure works — which I will mention later — in the year 1391, advancements were made that, compared to previous years, make 1391 a remarkable year. A multitude of infrastructure works were carried out; in the fields of roads, energy, discovering new oil resources, discovering new uranium resources, creating and developing power plants and refineries, and dozens of large industrial projects; all of which are the economic foundations for the future of the country. Yes, if we had prepared these infrastructures beforehand, the enemy's sanctions would not have had even this much negative effect. We accomplished these works and were able to move positively alongside the enmity and sanctions of the enemies. Great works were done; one example is the significant scientific advancements throughout the year 1391. In the field of science and technology, remarkable works were accomplished that are truly eye-catching and for anyone who believes in the future of the country, they are gratifying and pleasing. That is, in the very year that they sought to tighten their grip on the Iranian nation, our dear youth, our scientists sent the Nahid satellite into space; they sent the Pishgam probe with a living being into space; a highly advanced fighter jet was manufactured. The significance of each of these is such that it deserves a nation to express joy and happiness for each of them, to compose songs for them, to hold festivals. Because these works are so numerous, they are not properly advertised, and complete news coverage is not provided. When this living being was sent into space and returned safely, this matter was so astonishing for scientists and international observers that at first they denied it; but when they saw there was no way out and they observed the truths and signs of reality, they were forced to accept it.

In the field of health and medical engineering, significant works were accomplished that pertain to the health of the people. In the field of biotechnology, we became the first in the region. Outstanding specialized works were done in this field, and numerous pharmaceutical items were produced based on this. This is the same year that they sought to tighten their grip on the Iranian nation, to deprive it of life and all the products of human talent. In this very year, in the field of nanotechnology — which is a revolution in technology and industry — we achieved the first rank in the region. In this year, in several important scientific fields, we held the first rank in the production of science in the region. In records of science and scientific production, in the publication of scientific articles, in the speed of scientific advancement, in the share of the country in global scientific production, we witnessed progress. In the scientific and technological competitions of students, the country experienced a thirty-one percent growth compared to the previous year. In the year 1391, the number of students increased to such an extent that we have twenty-five times more students than at the beginning of the revolution. Twenty-five times more students are studying in the country than at the beginning of the revolution. These are the tremendous advancements of the Iranian nation. In the fields of water, environment, stem cells, new energies, medicinal plants, and nuclear energy, the country was able to achieve significant advancements. All of these pertain to the year in which the enemies of the Iranian nation mobilized all their efforts to incapacitate the Iranian nation.

The events of the year 1391 teach us a great lesson; this lesson is that a living nation will never kneel before the threats and pressures and hardships of the enemy. For us and for all those who follow the issues of Iran, it became clear that what is important for a nation is reliance on its internal talents, trust in the Great God, confidence in itself, and not relying on enemies; this is what can propel a nation forward. The year 1391 was a field of exercises for us, a training ground. To the chagrin of the enemy, we, the Iranian nation, did not become paralyzed; in this exercise field, we were able to show some of our strengths. Of course, we also recognized our weaknesses; this is the nature of exercises. In a military exercise and in a training ground, a military unit recognizes both its strengths and its weaknesses and addresses them. We recognized our weaknesses. Our weakness in the economy, which led to the hardships of some groups of people, is our dependence on oil — which I mentioned is one of our weaknesses — neglecting macroeconomic policies, and the day-to-day decision-making and policies. The officials of the country — today’s officials and especially the future officials who will come to power after this year’s elections — should pay attention to this point; the country must have a clear and structured macroeconomic policy; various events should not be able to change or alter it.

Another great lesson for us is that the country’s foundation is strong. When the foundation is strong, the hostile effects of the enemies are minimized. If the officials who have taken responsibility in this great country with this strong foundation work wisely, if the managers cooperate, if they work together — a recommendation we always make to the officials and managers of the country — if they act with prudence and wisdom, then we can turn every threat into an opportunity; just as in the year 1391 we turned the threats of the enemy into an opportunity and were able to move forward. What the officials of the country and our dear nation accomplished in the year 1391, God willing, should show its effects in the lives of the people, in the future, and in the coming years.

Of course, the economy is an important issue that I have emphasized repeatedly over these past few years, but it is not the only issue; the security of the country is important, the health of the people is important, scientific advancements are important and are the basis of work and the foundation of work — that if science progresses in the country, all subsequent tasks will become easier — national independence and dignity are important for the country, not being subservient to a nation and not having a master is important, the influence and regional power of a nation and a country is a backing for the independence and security of the country and is important. In all these areas, we have made progress; both in terms of security, health, international influence, and in mastering the various events that are occurring in the country and the region.

Our nation has proven with its advancements that living without the shadow of America does not mean backwardness; this is an important point. The powerful of the world, the colonizers — in the days of direct colonization — and today America, want to prove to the nations of the world that if you want to have a good life and progress, you must come under our shadow. The Iranian nation has proven that this claim is false. Our nation has proven that not being dependent on America and the great powers not only does not lead to backwardness, but leads to progress; the clear evidence of this is that you compare the thirty years of the Islamic Republic with the thirty years of some countries that lived under the shadow of America, who consoled themselves with two or three billion dollars of American aid each year and submitted to America; see where they are, where we are? There are countries that have tied themselves to the tail of America and are followers of America. Thirty years of experience is before us. See how the thirty years of the Islamic Republic have passed and how the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation have progressed from where to where, while they are in what condition. Anyone who studies this will understand that not being dependent on the great powers is an opportunity for a nation, not a threat; and this opportunity has, thanks be to God, been seized by the Iranian nation with its own strength, courage, and intelligence.

Two necessary topics I must mention here, which pertain to the future: one issue is that in our planning, we must always move ahead of the enemy. In the face of the enemy's activities, the country must not remain in a state of passivity. We must intelligently anticipate and discern the enemy's plans and act ahead of them. In some cases, we have acted this way and seen success; one example is the issue of securing the twenty percent fuel needed for the Tehran research reactor, where important radiopharmaceuticals are produced. This small reactor needed twenty percent fuel, which we were not producing and always obtained from abroad. Our enemies thought they could take advantage of this opportunity, to hold this national need hostage, to force the Islamic Republic to accept their impositions and demands; our youth, our scientists, before the situation reached a critical point, were able to prepare the enriched twenty percent fuel and convert it into the necessary plate that needed to be produced in that reactor. Our opponents did not even guess that we could accomplish this task; but the officials of the country timely recognized this need, took action; Iranian talent blossomed, emerged, and we successfully accomplished this task. While they expected the Islamic Republic to beg them for the twenty percent fuel, the Islamic Republic announced that we have produced the twenty percent fuel domestically and do not need you. If our scientists, our scientific men, our youth had not done this, today we would have to go with insistence, with pleading, at great expense, to those who are not our friends; either requesting the twenty percent fuel or requesting the radiopharmaceuticals and products. The officials of the country anticipated, understood in time; they did what needed to be done; thus, we succeeded. This should be a program for all the fundamental issues and needs of the country.

Governments, industrialists, farmers, investors, entrepreneurs, scientific researchers, scientific and industrial designers are all obliged to this great moral duty, to this wise duty, to prepare themselves before the need arises and to stay one step ahead of the enemy's plans. Economic managers, university professors, scientific associations, science and technology parks, all of these must prioritize proactivity in scientific work; they write scientific articles, it should be in this direction; they conduct scientific research, it should be in this direction; they engage in industrial work, technical work, scientific work, all should be in this direction; government managers, university managers, scientific managers, all segments of the nation should move in this direction.

It is our duty to strive to keep the country strong, invulnerable, and unaffected by the enemy; this is one of the requirements of the "resilient economy" that we have proposed. In a resilient economy, a fundamental and important pillar is the resilience of the economy. The economy must be resilient; it must be able to withstand whatever may be exposed to the enemy's conspiracy. This was the first point I needed to mention.

The second point: The Americans constantly send us messages through various means to come and discuss the nuclear issue; they send us messages, and they also raise this in their global propaganda. High-ranking and mid-level officials of America have repeatedly said let’s discuss the nuclear issue of Iran two by two alongside the 1+5 discussions. I am not optimistic about these discussions. Why? Because our past experiences show that discussions in the logic of the Americans do not mean that we sit down to reach a logical solution — their meaning of discussion is that we sit down to talk until you accept our views! The goal has been declared from the beginning; the other side's views must be accepted. Therefore, we have always declared and said that this is not discussion; this is imposition, and Iran will not submit to imposition. I am not optimistic about these statements, but I do not oppose them either. In this regard, several points must be clarified:

One point is that the Americans repeatedly send messages — sometimes they write, sometimes they send messages — that we do not intend to change the Islamic system; they say this to us. The answer is that we are not worried about whether you intend to change the Islamic system or not, no matter how much you insist that you do not have this intention. The day you intended to change the Islamic system and explicitly declared it, you could not do anything, and after this, you will not be able to do anything.

The second point: The Americans repeatedly and continuously send messages that we are sincere in our proposal for logical negotiation; that is, we sincerely ask you to negotiate and have a logical negotiation; meaning it should not be an imposed negotiation. I respond: We have told you many times that we are not seeking nuclear weapons, you say you do not believe it; why should we believe what you say?! When you are not willing to accept a logical and sincere statement, why should we accept what you say — which has been proven to be false many times? Our understanding is that the proposal for negotiation from the Americans is an American tactic to deceive public opinion; both the public opinion of the world and the public opinion of our people. You must prove that this is not the case. Can you prove it? Prove it.

Right here, let me say that among the propaganda tactics of theirs is that they sometimes spread rumors that someone from the leadership has negotiated with the Americans; this is another propaganda tactic and a complete lie. Until now, no one from the leadership has negotiated with them. In several instances, over the years, in various governments, individuals have negotiated on specific issues — which we had no objection to — but these were related to the governments. Of course, those individuals were also obliged to observe the red lines of the leadership; today they are obliged and must observe them.

The third point: Based on experience and observation of the scene, with precision and curiosity, our understanding is that America does not wish for the nuclear negotiations to conclude. The Americans do not want the nuclear discussions to end and the nuclear dispute to be resolved; otherwise, if they wanted these negotiations to conclude and this problem to be solved, the solution would be very close and very easy. Iran, in the nuclear issue, only wants its right to enrichment — which is its natural right — to be recognized by the world; the officials of the countries that claim to be concerned must admit that the Iranian nation has the right to carry out nuclear enrichment for peaceful purposes in its own country and by its own hands; is this too much to ask? This is what we have always said; they do not want this.

They say we are concerned that you might move towards producing nuclear weapons — there are only a few countries that I have named; they label themselves as the "international community"! — they say the international community is concerned. No, the international community has no concerns at all. Most countries of the world are on the side of the Islamic Republic and support our demands; because it is a legitimate demand. If the Americans wanted the issue to be resolved, this would be a very easy solution; they could acknowledge the right to enrichment for the Iranian nation; to avoid any concerns from that direction, they could also apply the legal regulations of the nuclear agency; we have never opposed the application of these oversight and regulations. Whenever we get close to a solution, the Americans throw a stone in the way to block the solution. Their goal, according to my understanding and perception, is that they want this issue to remain as an excuse for pressure; that pressure — as they themselves said — is to paralyze the Iranian nation. Of course, to the chagrin of the enemy, the Iranian nation will not be paralyzed.

The fourth and final point in this matter is that if the Americans sincerely want the matter to be resolved, I offer the solution. The solution is: the Americans must cease their enmity with the Islamic Republic, they must cease their enmity with the Iranian nation. The proposal for negotiation is not a logical and sound argument; the correct statement is this. If they want there to be no problems between Iran and America — which they say they want — they must cease their enmity. For thirty-four years, various American governments, with a misunderstanding of Iran and Iranians, have designed various enmities against us. From the first day of the victory of the revolution and the establishment of the Islamic system, they have been hostile to us; they have planned against our security; they have carried out hostile actions; they have acted against our territorial integrity; they have always supported our small and large enemies over the years; they have worked against our national economy; they have used all tools against the Iranian nation; and in all of these, thanks be to God, they have failed; after this, if they continue these hostilities against the Iranian nation, they will fail. Therefore, I guide the American officials; if they are looking for a wise way, the wise way is to correct their policy; to correct their actions and to cease their enmity with the Iranian nation. This discussion is concluded.

I have another discussion that I must briefly mention, and that is the very important issue of elections. Elections in our country are a manifestation of "political epic." What I mentioned that is our duty and the duty of various segments was a manifestation of "economic epic." Elections are a manifestation of "political epic"; a manifestation of the power of the Islamic system; a manifestation of the dignity of the system. The dignity of the Islamic Republic is tied to elections and the presence of the people at the ballot boxes and the impact of each individual in selecting the managers of the country. Elections are a manifestation of national will, a symbol of Islamic democracy. We have presented the issue of Islamic democracy in contrast to the Western liberal democracy; the manifestation of Islamic democracy is the presence of the people in elections. Therefore, due to the importance of elections, the enemies of the Iranian nation have always tried to diminish the excitement and enthusiasm of elections; they have planned to dissuade people from participating at the ballot boxes; to dishearten the people, to make them hopeless. Throughout the various years we have had elections — whether parliamentary elections or especially presidential elections — our enemies have always tried to make these elections lackluster; this is due to the importance of elections in the affairs of the country.

I will mention a few points regarding the elections. Of course, there are still two months and a bit left; if I live, I will mention other points regarding the elections in future opportunities; for now, I will mention a few points.

The first point is that, first and foremost, the expansion of participation and the widespread presence of the people in elections is important. The electoral enthusiasm in the country and the presence of the people at the ballot boxes can nullify the threats of the enemies; it can dishearten the enemy; it can secure the country’s security. Our dear nation in all parts of the country should know this; their widespread presence at the ballot boxes will impact the future of the country; in security, in independence, in national wealth, in the economy, in all important issues of the country. This is the first point; that the elections should, with divine grace, with the help of God, with the efforts of the Iranian nation, be realized with widespread participation.

The second point: In elections, all tendencies and currents that believe in the Islamic Republic must participate; this is both the right of all and the duty of all. Elections do not belong to a specific tendency, nor to a specific ideological and political current. All those who believe in the Islamic Republic and care about the future of the country, who are concerned for the national interests, must participate in the elections. Turning away from the elections is suitable for those who oppose the Islamic system.

The third point: Ultimately, the vote of the people is decisive. What matters is your judgment and your vote. You must investigate, observe, be careful, ask your trusted individuals, to reach the best and select the best. The leadership has only one vote. I, like the rest of the people, have one vote; and this vote, until it is cast into the ballot box, no one will be aware of it. Now, it may be that those who have the ballot box will later open it, recognize my line, and understand who I voted for; but before voting, no one will know. It is not the case that someone comes and attributes that the leadership's opinion is this or that. If such an attribution is made, it is incorrect. Of course, these days, with the strange media tools — these text messages and the like — unfortunately, various statements and attributions to various individuals are prevalent. Sometimes one person may send thousands of messages. I have been informed that during the election days, hundreds of millions of messages may be exchanged daily. Be careful, do not be influenced by these things; look, discern, recognize the best, and for the fulfillment of your duty, cast their name into the ballot box. Of course, anyone or political activists can also align others with their opinions — this is not a problem — but from me, no one will hear anything in this regard. In any case, what is the criterion for action is the vote of the masses.

The fourth point: In the matter of elections and beyond, everyone must submit to the vote of the law; they must comply with the law. The events that occurred in the year 1388 — which were detrimental and damaging to the country — all stemmed from the fact that some did not want to comply with the law; they did not want to comply with the vote of the people. It may be that the vote of the people is contrary to what I personally desire; but I must comply. What the majority of the people, the vast majority of the people have chosen, must be complied with; everyone must submit to it. Fortunately, there are legal mechanisms to rectify errors, to resolve ambiguities; they should utilize these legal solutions. That when what has happened is contrary to our wishes, we invite people to street riots — which happened in the year 1388 — is one of the irreparable mistakes. This became an experience for our nation, and our nation will always stand against such events.

The last point: Everyone should know that what we need for the future president is the advantages that exist today, minus the weaknesses that exist. Everyone should pay attention to this; the president of each term must have the advantages of the current president, and not have his weaknesses. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Presidents — whether the current president or the future president — have strengths and weaknesses. We are all like this; we have strengths and weaknesses. What today is considered strengths for the government and the president must also exist in the next president; these must be secured in themselves; what today is recognized as weaknesses — which you may say, I may say, others may say — these weaknesses must be eliminated. That is, in the series of governments that come one after another, we must be progressing, moving towards improvement and evolution, gradually sending our best; whoever comes must be committed to the revolution, committed to values, committed to national interests, committed to the Islamic system, committed to collective wisdom, committed to prudence. This is how the country should be managed. The country is a great country; the nation is a great nation; there are many encouraging and promising issues; there are also problems in the way of every nation, including ours. Those who prepare for this field must move forward with full strength, with full power, with trust in God, and confidence in the capabilities of this nation.

O Lord! Decree for this nation what is good and beneficial. O Lord! Make the heart of the holy Awaited One pleased with all of us. O Lord! Make the pure spirit of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and the pure souls of the martyrs pleased and satisfied with us. Whatever we have said, let it be for You and in Your way, and accept it from us with Your grace.

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