Statements at the Ceremony of the Endorsement of the Fourteenth Term of the Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran

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 and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, especially the remainder of God on the earth.

The day of endorsement and the ceremony of endorsement is the last page of the thick and profound book that the dear nation of Iran and the officials have compiled through this motivated election, and they have immortalized it in the shelf of the honors of the Iranian nation. We are grateful to God that the fourteenth presidential election, despite the atmosphere of public sorrow due to the loss of our late martyr president, the late Mr. Raisi (may God be pleased with him), was conducted in the best manner; with calmness, health, competition, and ethical interactions between the rivals and the respected elected president after the election, which were very commendable. This was an important test for the country that, thanks be to God, was successfully passed, and the sweet result of it, God willing, our dear nation will taste.

I find it necessary to remind the role of the esteemed caretaker of the presidency, Mr. Makbar, and the cabinet in managing the affairs of the country during these two months and to thank these gentlemen; they played an important role and were able, by God's grace, to bring the country to a state of calm and with a good public spirit to the elections and to conclude the elections in the best manner.

We, thanks be to God, have a democracy mixed with competition and health in our country. My dear ones! This democracy that exists today in our country has not come easily or cheaply; it is the result of the uprising of the people in response to a disordered and calamitous situation that existed in the past in this country. Our great Imam (may his soul be sanctified), from the very first day of the victory of the revolution, firmly established an unprecedented matter in the country, which is the intervention of the people, the presence of the people, and the influence of the people in the administration of the country; this great work of our great Imam was one of the most important events in the history of our country's life.

Before the Iranian nation, under the leadership of the great Imam, achieved democracy, we only had the experience of constitutionalism, which was a failed experience. In constitutionalism, the people struggled, made efforts, sacrificed martyrs, and engaged in numerous struggles, but due to the lack of a powerful, influential, and popular leadership, the country was almost in chaos from the very first days, foreign powers intervened, and internal anarchists entered the field; the country was in turmoil for about fifteen years, and then the brutal dictatorship of Reza Shah came to power; that is, there was not much distance between the signing of the constitutional decree and the rise of a cruel, dependent dictator like Reza Khan; all the efforts of the nation were wasted with the rise of Reza Pahlavi.

The important characteristic and index of the first Pahlavi government — which was almost four years as prime minister and commander of the armed forces and the rest as monarchy — was, on one hand, a brutal dictatorship and oppression of the people, and on the other hand, humiliation and obedience and passivity in the face of foreign factors. Reza Shah was brought to power by the British, and everything they wanted was done; both in politics, in culture, and in the way of governing the country, what they wanted happened in the country: national resources were plundered; the oppressive oil contract, which was nearing its end, was extended for thirty years; there was oppression and repression against the people; there was open and public opposition to religion and religiosity, which was a significant factor in the people's movement; and then, towards the end of the period, when they felt that Reza Shah had developed a tendency towards Hitler's Germany — with the onset of World War II and the movements of Germany that indicated it was advancing — the same British who had brought him to power came and said, 'Out!' They exiled him and placed his incompetent son in his place, and the same policies continued. Mohammad Reza followed the path of his father; that is, oppression against the people, severe internal repression, aiding foreigners in the appropriation of Iran's national resources, mainly oil, and humiliation in the face of foreign policies — we used to say these things, and later when the memoirs of the Pahlavi family and their close associates were published, we saw that the very things we knew and said, they themselves admitted to.

The appointment of the prime minister was guided by foreigners, with the will of foreigners; the type of arms purchases, the type of oil sales, the price of each, and the other major issues of governing the country were under the will of foreigners, and there was relentless pressure on the people; this was the state of their politics. These points are important; attention to these points is important. It reached a point where Mohammad Reza Pahlavi resorted to the Americans and the British to overthrow a national government that had come to power exceptionally with the people's vote, and they staged a coup in Iran, and they overthrew the government. That is, there cannot be a greater and clearer betrayal than this! This democracy that you see today in Iran is the result of the uprising of the Iranian nation against such a situation. The Iranian nation had never experienced intervention in the administration of the country; the Islamic Revolution gifted this to the Iranian nation through our great and unparalleled Imam. This must be appreciated: this democracy, this popular presence.

In the Islamic Republic, in these forty-plus years, we have had dozens of elections; parliamentary elections, presidential elections, council elections, elections for the Assembly of Experts of the Constitution, elections for the Leadership Experts, and all accompanied by competition, health, and motivated participation of the people, sometimes more, sometimes less; this is not of primary importance; what is of primary importance is the 'motivated presence of the people.' The people come to the ballot box with motivation and vote; and this event has always occurred and existed. Thanks be to God, the recent elections were also conducted well; and the people, thanks be to God, elected a deserving president. The statements he made here today were precise and profound and indicative of adherence to the true principles of Islamic democracy. We hope, God willing, that God will assist him. We all must help to the best of our ability so that he and his government can accomplish the great tasks they intend to pursue.

Well, these are our remarks regarding the main issue.

I would like to offer a few recommendations, which are directed both to the government and the officials who will, God willing, take on important responsibilities, and to the general public, and to all of us and ourselves.

The first recommendation. Our country is a large country, our nation is a great nation. Among our nation, there are countless individuals who are thinkers, innovators, experienced, and possess new ideas; when one sits down to listen to this and that, one hears so many new ideas, new thoughts, and new innovations in the various speeches of individuals from different strata that one is astonished. The proposals they provide in writing, the things they say in person, what they express as objections, what they express as suggestions, all indicate a new thought, a new innovation, good experience, and a way forward for the future. This [capacity] is our national wealth, and it must be utilized. The esteemed government and the esteemed president, God willing, should utilize this 'great popular capacity' for the people, with the people, among the people to achieve the goals they have mentioned and the path they wish to take.

Of course, alongside these human opportunities, our natural and material wealth also exists, which is abundant. The natural wealth of our country is much more than what we have utilized so far; it is much greater than this. We can accomplish great tasks relying on these human resources and natural wealth; the condition is that we must have high aspirations, pursue tasks diligently, and choose good collaborators, God willing. This is our first recommendation.

The next recommendation pertains to 'jihadist work.' I say that with a jihadist spirit, one can move mountains of difficulties. What does jihadist work mean? It means tirelessness, working without reward or expectation, placing the goal as the fulfillment of human and divine duty, and moving forward; this is jihadist work. Of course, there are legal and administrative frameworks that must be observed, but jihadist work is a quality, a type of work. One can perform completely legal work in a jihadist manner and in a non-jihadist manner; many people observe the appearance of the law but do not make progress, work does not get done. The esteemed president, a few days ago, spoke about the fact that in some of our administrative sectors, there is a person who is obligated, responsible, but the product of his work from morning to night is not significant, is not useful; he was speaking to me, and that is a correct point. Jihadist work is the opposite of this. We have accomplished great tasks in the country with jihadist work: our eight-year sacred defense progressed with jihadist work; the complex and colorful plots of the enemy over these thirty or forty years were neutralized with jihadist work. Martyr Raisi (may God be pleased with him) was a man of jihadist work; he truly did not recognize day or night; he was not seeking praise and compliments for all the work he did; we saw this up close, we felt it. He worked in the true sense of the word, did everything he could, many did not understand; that is, the work was not in front of the people's eyes, but he worked. This is also our next recommendation, which was about jihadist work, entering the field with a spirit of struggle, and avoiding remote control; that is, a manager wanting to control things from afar does not work; he must go into the heart of the work.

The next recommendation: interaction among the pillars of the country; without this, work cannot be done. The parliament must assist the government; the government must account for the sensitivities of the parliament; the judiciary must have an active presence wherever needed; the armed forces must be present wherever the government and the people need them, according to their duties; everyone must play a role. These meetings of the heads of the branches are a very good opportunity. I have previously advised the officials of the branches, and now I also advise the gentlemen present here to take these meetings of the three branches and exchanges of views seriously; this is a very good task; it is our experience that we have used this for many years.

The next recommendation is to observe priorities. Of course, everyone knows that I am very sensitive to cultural issues; cultural and social issues are very important, perhaps more important than anything else; however, today, in terms of timing, the priority is economic issues. A strong, calculated economic movement is needed. Of course, work has been done in the previous government that is valuable and must continue, and other works must also be added.

In economic matters, one must address the economic issue both from the perspective of macro issues — the issue of national currency value, the issue of production, the issue of investment, the issue of improving the business environment; fundamental and general issues — and from the perspective of improving the livelihood of the people, which is an urgent and short-term task, works can be done, and God willing, they will be done. Of course, work has been done in both areas, and it is good that it continues.

The next recommendation pertains to the atmosphere of public sentiment arising from the elections, which is directed at all people, political and social activists. Well, elections are naturally challenging; individuals are positioned on both sides of the issue, challenges arise; one should not heed the temptations of polarization and give them effect; this is my emphatic recommendation. The feelings that led individuals to argue with each other during the election period should not continue; do not let it continue. Well, the nature of elections is this: one wins, one does not; this is the result of the elections. Elections mean this; for example, one person you like wins, another person liked by someone else does not win; this is natural; this should not lead to discord. In the Islamic Republic, various tastes and orientations have risen and fallen from the very beginning of the revolution until now; some have won votes today, tomorrow others will win votes; the reverse is also true; this is the very 'And those days We alternate [among the people]' (Surah Al-Imran, part of verse 140); this is a test. I say that in all these elections that have taken place, the Iranian nation has emerged victorious; we have no defeated ones. Those who entered the field, supported a candidate, and that candidate did not win votes, they did not lose; they are also victorious; they are part of the Iranian nation, after all, the Iranian nation is victorious. Therefore, that state of discord or resentment that may sometimes occur during electoral debates should not continue. Neither should the one whose candidate won feel elevated, nor should the one whose candidate did not win feel defeated; neither of them should feel elevated, nor should the other feel defeated. This is also our next recommendation, which is directed at all political, social, and electoral activists and the like.

The next recommendation is 'appreciating the internal capabilities of the country and relying on internal capabilities.' This recommendation is directed at the esteemed officials who will, God willing, take charge of guiding the country and advancing the country, and executing the country's affairs. They should pay attention to internal capabilities. 'We can' should remain a permanent slogan; this is indeed the reality. This statement, of course, does not mean that we should not utilize foreign capabilities; no wise person would say this. Well, we must utilize all available resources; domestic, foreign, friends. Sometimes even our enemies take actions that benefit us; we should utilize that as well. Utilization must be done, but internal capabilities should not be overlooked; no internal issue should be suspended and dependent on a foreign issue; this is our statement. Whatever you can do at the global level, do it; do good works, works that bring dignity, do them, but do not neglect internal capabilities, internal power, and domestic innovations; this is my emphasis, and there are indeed many examples.

The next recommendation concerns foreign policy issues. The first point I want to make regarding foreign policy is this: in the face of global and especially regional waves and events, the country's response should be active, impactful, not passive. Various issues arise, whether politically, scientifically, or in extraordinary and strange scientific advancements — consider artificial intelligence, for example — engage actively with this, do not respond passively; respond in a way that has an impact. Neglecting what happens in the world, what happens in the region, is not permissible. Whenever an event occurs, we have a position regarding it; we must express this position clearly, explicitly, with strength and dignity so that the world recognizes and understands what the Islamic Republic of Iran says regarding this matter. The thirteenth government made good efforts in this regard. May God have mercy on the martyr of service, the late Amir-Abdollahian; he was a very good diplomat, a very good negotiator, and had good efforts and activities; I saw his work up close; he moved well, worked well. This activity and effort, God willing, must continue.

One of the points regarding foreign policy is that we have priorities in foreign relations; one of our priorities is our neighbors. We are among the countries with numerous neighbors; this is one of the advantages of a country. There are almost fourteen neighbors around us; this is an advantage for us. We must work on relations with our neighbors, strive; this is one of our priorities.

One of the priorities is communication with countries that can expand our diplomatic field; for example, African countries, Asian countries; these expand our diplomatic field; communication with them is among our priorities.

One of the priorities is to establish strong relations with countries that have supported us in the face of pressures over the years, have helped us; whether in the United Nations, or outside the United Nations, or in the field of action, economic cooperation, etc., have supported us; we must express our gratitude; we must strengthen our communications with them; this is our priority policy; and there are other priority actions in this regard.

Of course, it is not that we say we have a motivation of opposition and enmity with some countries, for example, European countries — which I did not mention among the priorities — no. The reason I do not mention European countries as a priority is that they have not behaved well with us over these years; they have not treated us well. In the matter of sanctions, in the matter of oil, in various issues, under false titles like human rights and the like, they have treated us poorly; [if] they do not have this bad behavior, of course, those [countries] are also among our priorities, and communication with them is also a priority for us. Of course, there are a few countries whose grievances and hostile behaviors we do not forget. This is regarding this matter. These were our recommendations that I presented.

The last point I want to make is the issue of Gaza, which today is a global issue. One day, the issue of Palestine was merely a matter for Islamic countries; today, the issue of Palestine and the issue of Gaza is a general global issue. This issue today extends and spreads from inside the U.S. Congress to the United Nations to the Paris Olympics to everywhere else. The Zionist regime presents the ugliest face of a criminal gang. They are not a government; they are a criminal gang, a gang of murderers, a gang of terrorists. They have set a new record in terror and cruelty — extraordinary and bizarre crimes — leaving a new benchmark in the history of human criminality in the world; they have created a new benchmark. Today, heavy bombs from the Zionists are being dropped on the heads of those who have not even fired a single bullet; children in cradles, five-year-old, six-year-old children, women, patients in hospitals; these have not even fired a single bullet at anyone, yet bombs are being dropped on them; why? This crime is an unprecedented crime. The power of resistance is becoming increasingly evident; the Zionist enemy, with all the help from America, with all the assistance that some treacherous governments have provided, has not been able to defeat the resistance forces, has not been able to subdue them. The declared goal of their operation was to eradicate Hamas; today, Hamas — and Jihad and, in general, the resistance in Palestine — has stood with full power; they cannot do anything to them, yet they drop bombs on the heads of the oppressed people of Gaza! The world must take a more serious decision regarding this incident. Governments, nations, intellectual and political figures, in various fields must seriously decide. At that moment, one understands what a great disgrace the U.S. Congress paved for itself a few days ago by sitting down with this criminal and listening! This is a great disgrace.

We hope that the Almighty God grants victory to the oppressed people of Palestine. We hope that the Almighty God leads the dear and great nation of Islamic Iran to its lofty goals. We sincerely request from the Almighty God to grant success to our new dear president and the government that will be formed, to assist them in accomplishing the great tasks they wish to pursue and announce, God willing, to realize these lofty goals and to bring honor to the Iranian nation. We ask the Almighty God for the elevation of the pure soul of our great Imam, the pure souls of the martyrs, the soul of martyr Soleimani, the soul of martyr Raisi, and their companions, and we hope that God will also join us to the caravan of martyrs.

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