Statements at the Inauguration Ceremony and Shoulder Badge Awarding for Graduates of Imam Ali (AS) Officer Academy

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

I congratulate you, dear youth, on your presence in the proud assembly of the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This uniform is a garment of honor; because you, with your existence, your service, and the outstanding human qualities of a soldier of Islam, are a source of encouragement for your nation, your country, and your sacred and divine land.

In all parts of the world, armed forces are considered one of the very important components of national power; but this power and this manifestation of national strength gain additional importance and value when what it expresses is not merely power aided by weapons. Weapons are important, and an armed man is capable of defense; but more important than weapons is the spiritual force and the moral power of the armed man. This is what transforms the national power of a country into a spiritual, true, and indestructible power. A nation with armed men and brave and noble soldiers whose hearts are illuminated by the light of faith and whose wills are strengthened by the power and firmness of faith possesses a power that is rarely found throughout the world - indeed, throughout history. Today, you are in such a position.

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, the armed forces do not display their greatness and majesty solely through the power of weapons; rather, alongside that, their spiritual authority is dependent on their faith. For God, for humanity, for the spread of monotheism, and for the defense of authentic values, the Iranian soldier and the Islamic Iranian youth don this uniform and keep themselves prepared. If in today’s material world and throughout history, armies have been created and utilized to quell the fires of greed and ambition of the powerful, and if today the armed forces of the world are seen as tools of the bullying of superpowers, the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran are the self-sacrificers of virtues and practice and resist for the establishment of human virtues and divine values; this is what will ultimately bring about decisive and certain victory. This must be preserved.

Today, in the world, new experiences reveal strange truths to the world. Today, the world observes that the heavily armed army that was able to force similar armies in Arab countries to surrender before its majesty and power has been compelled to accept the humiliation of defeat against the faith of the brave and courageous youth of Hezbollah, acknowledging that it is weak and powerless in the face of these faithful youths; this signifies the superiority of spiritual authority over material powers. Our dear youth in the army, in the Guard, in the Basij, in the police force, and in every section of the proud armed forces of the Islamic Republic - as individuals who, alongside their combat readiness and in the uniform of a soldier of Islam, possess faith and spirituality - have an exceptional advantage among all armed forces around the world; value this.

Dear ones! You prepare yourselves to be proud in front of your nation throughout your years of service - as individuals who have been entrusted with the defense of this nation, with confidence in their will and courage; you have embarked on such a path and envisioned such a future for yourselves. Our nation supports the armed forces and considers them as part of itself and an inseparable component of itself. As the great figures of religion have said, you are the strongholds and fortifications of this nation; remember this in all stages of training and in all stages of service, and do not forget it; the strongholds of a nation that has risen in the name of God and in the name of justice and has been able, with its faith, firmness, courage, and self-sacrifice, to force the armed enemies equipped with the most modern weapons to retreat. Today, all the enemies who, at the beginning of the Islamic Revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic, believed that the Islamic Republic could not withstand the storms of their opposition, have recognized through thirty years of experience and confess that the Islamic Republic is the strongest. You are the strongest. This strength and power is due to the firmness of faith within you; value your faith and strengthen it within yourselves.

The duties of an armed individual in the armed forces of the Islamic Republic include acquiring good knowledge, maintaining good discipline, being always prepared, and having sincerity and clarity and spiritual illumination; gather all of these together for yourselves. Consider the opportunity of youth as precious for adorning yourselves with these great virtues. Today, you are in the best years of your life, and by acquiring the spiritual virtues necessary for a devoted and faithful person and a dignified individual before God and creation, you can become worthy servants of God and great men of your time. The army of the Islamic Republic of Iran has always needed great men who can shoulder the important and magnificent duties of this organization, and thanks be to God, throughout the period after the revolution until today, it has also had such men; after this, it is you who must bear these heavy burdens.

I beseech the Almighty God to grant you, dear youth of this nation and you loyal soldiers of this country - as the best soldiers of Islam and the best men of your time - the success for growth and elevation. Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.