Statements in a televised speech on the anniversary of the 19th of Dey uprising

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 Muhammad and his pure family, especially the Awaited One among the inhabitants of the earth.

I extend my greetings to the dear people of Qom and to the esteemed seminary; unfortunately, this year's annual meeting is in this form, and I am deprived of seeing the radiant faces of my dear brothers from Qom. However, this is one of the forms of life, one of its ups and downs; life has many alleys and byways, and we must traverse the path of life. God willing, it will pass; this, like all other bitter and sweet events, is transient, and with God's grace, the path of life will be placed on the paved road.

I express my gratitude to the dear people of Iran and Iraq for their spontaneous movements on the anniversary of Martyr Soleimani and Martyr Abu Mahdi.

My discussion today consists of a few words regarding the important event and epic of the 19th of Dey, and a few words about some current issues that are raised in public opinion. But before I begin the main topic, I find it necessary to express my gratitude to God and to thank the dear people of our country for the great epic-like movement they created on the anniversary of our dear martyr Soleimani. Martyr Soleimani and Martyr Abu Mahdi manifested themselves in the spontaneous movements of the people throughout the country, and with this great popular movement, a new spirit was breathed into the body of the country and the nation, which could not have been achieved by any decree or order; this movement stemmed from the emotions of the people, the hearts of the people, the insight of the people, and the correct motivations of the people. Also, a large and astonishing gathering was formed in Baghdad and in some other cities of Iraq to honor and commemorate Martyr Abu Mahdi, the prominent Iraqi commander, and Martyr Soleimani - the dear guest of the people of Iraq. I sincerely thank all the brothers and sisters who participated in this ceremony here and in Iraq.

I find it necessary to mention the names of the martyrs who accompanied Martyr Soleimani; because the greatness of Martyr Soleimani caused their names to be mentioned less and less: Martyr Pourjafari, Martyr Mozaffari-Nia, Martyr Taremi, Martyr Zamani-Nia, all of whom are among the esteemed martyrs; and also the companions of Martyr Abu Mahdi in Iraq, whose names I do not have in mind.

I also find it necessary to honor the memory of the martyrs who lost their lives during the funeral in Kerman and also in the very bitter and unfortunate airplane incident in Tehran, which was truly a bitter and unfortunate event that also saddened the country's officials. We hope that God Almighty will bestow His grace and mercy upon those martyrs - both the martyrs of Kerman and the martyrs of Tehran - and grant patience, solace, and peace of heart to their families, by His grace and bounty. Of course, the officials also have duties that have been reminded to them.

I also find it necessary to commemorate the fortieth day of the martyrdom of Martyr Fakhrizadeh (may God be pleased with him); he was a great martyr, a significant personality. We have lost two great scientific figures recently: one was Martyr Fakhrizadeh, and the other was Ayatollah Misbah; both were prominent scientific figures, each in their own region and field, and both left valuable legacies in the institutions under their supervision that must be continued with strength and in the best manner, God willing.

Two points regarding the uprising of the 19th of Dey:

Regarding the 19th of Dey, I will mention two points: one is that we must guard and protect the memory of the 19th of Dey and the event of the 19th of Dey, and the other is that we must guard and protect the content and essence of the epic of the 19th of Dey; that is, both guarding and protecting the event itself, in the sense of keeping it alive, is necessary and obligatory for us, and also guarding and protecting the essence and content of this great epic; now I will explain the reason for this.

1) Guarding the memory of the event of the 19th of Dey as one of the peaks of the life of the Iranian nation

As for the need to guard and protect the epic itself, it is because this was one of the peaks of the life of the Iranian nation. Nations have peaks and troughs; peaks must be kept alive. The peaks are those that demonstrate the vitality, commitment, and determination of a nation, as well as its insight during sensitive times; the 19th of Dey was like that. The peak must be kept alive, as it gives spirit to future generations and is a source of national pride and dignity. These peaks are recorded in history and illuminate the path for future generations. Therefore, we must not allow this event to become obsolete, and just as this event has remained alive and vibrant until today, it must continue to do so.

2) Guarding the content of the event of the 19th of Dey and preventing misinterpretation

And as for guarding the content of this event. Well, every event has a content, a meaning; what was the content of this event? We must correctly recognize this content and guard it; why should we guard it? Because treacherous narrators and biased analysts try to change the content of great events to serve their own interests and the interests of the usurping powers of the world. This has existed since ancient times, where a biased narrator of an event that has occurred defines it in such a way that the opposite of the intended meaning of that epic comes to the mind of the audience.

Today, with the expansion of communication tools and the vast facilities available, the opportunity exists for malicious powers and treacherous hands to alter events, change the content of events, misinterpret them, and mislead public opinion; especially the opinions of future generations and those who were not present at that event and did not witness it closely or hear about it in a timely manner. Today, one of the important tasks of intelligence agencies is to monitor world events and then, not directly, but through the voices of others, through the writings of others, with articles and analyses from reputable and well-known individuals, with the means they possess - with money, threats, and bribery - to reflect what they want in the interpretation of an event.

Recently, I read a book written by an American; in fact, this book is a compilation, as various individuals contributed to its writing. This book is about the CIA's control over major world media and magazines; this book is entirely about this. It describes how the CIA intervened in articles, analyses, writings, and statements of well-known authors and sometimes reputable magazines, and imposed their interpretation in place of the real interpretation on public opinion and controlled them; not only in American media but also in other countries, in Europe; it names a well-known French magazine and states that they did these things there, said this, wrote that; this practice is now prevalent and exists in the world. In fact, the CIA, through this work, conveys its distorted analysis and incorrect interpretation of issues and events to public opinion and misleads public opinion, and this is a danger that always exists.

The event of the 19th of Dey was a prelude to the general uprising of the people of the country.

Well, regarding the 19th of Dey, we must be careful that such an event does not occur; now, I will briefly explain what the content and meaning of the movement of the 19th of Dey in Qom, which the people and the seminary jointly carried out, was. If the issue in Qom had ended in that city and remained confined to Qom, one might interpret it as an emotional movement stemming from, for example, religious excitement and transient feelings, saying: "The people were fearless; they rose up in an event and were then suppressed, and that was the end of it"; one might say it this way, but the event in Qom was not like that. The event in Qom did not end in Qom; it spread from Qom to Tabriz, to Yazd, to Kerman, to Shiraz, to Mashhad, to Tehran, and gradually culminated in a general uprising. It started in Qom; the initiators were the people of Qom, but the event did not conclude in Qom; this event transformed into a nationwide uprising in all cities and gradually in villages within approximately five to six months; everyone rose up; what kind of event is this? Based on this uprising, a great and unprecedented popular revolution occurred in history - perhaps unparalleled in some respects.

The meaning of the event of the 19th of Dey: the anger and protest of the people against the dictatorial, dependent, corrupt, anti-religious, aristocratic, and class-based regime.

Well, with this perspective, the event in Qom cannot be interpreted so simplistically as just a moment of excitement; no, this event has a different meaning, a depth, a deeper meaning. Well, what is the meaning of the event of the 19th of Dey? It is the anger and strong protest of the people against the dictatorial, dependent, corrupt, anti-religious, aristocratic, and class-based regime. The people's grievances and anger had accumulated over time, and there was also an intellectual backing from the teachings of the Imam, the speeches of the Imam, and the statements of the Imam that were disseminated from Qom and Najaf; this great movement, this public anger of the people, was based on that intellectual backing that the Imam constantly and repeatedly conveyed and was reflected by the young revolutionaries and especially by the seminarians throughout the country, which enabled this great uprising to come into existence.

Two important points about the event of the 19th of Dey: the religious aspect and the anti-American aspect of the people's uprising.

Two important points must be considered here, which are decisive. One point is that the leader of this public movement was a religious authority; a great cleric, a prominent figure who propagated and promoted the foundations of religious knowledge. This great leader from the very first day of the struggle invited the people to religion; from the beginning of the struggle, since 1961, the Imam's invitation was based on religious foundations, and if he protested, if he suggested, it was all based on religious foundations. Therefore, the people's movement was fundamentally a religious movement, because it was led by the Imam, with the teachings and guidance of the Imam, and the Imam was a religious authority, a prominent cleric, and the Imam's work from the beginning was based on religious foundations; this is one very important point.

The second point is that approximately a week before the uprising of the people of Qom, the President of the United States - at that time, Carter - expressed his full support for the Pahlavi regime and Mohammad Reza in Tehran; a speech had been prepared for him to read at a gathering, but he put that speech in his pocket and started speaking himself - later, his interpreters and companions revealed this - and praised and supported Mohammad Reza and the Pahlavi regime wholeheartedly. Therefore, this movement in Qom was an anti-American movement, an anti-global arrogance movement; it was a movement against those wicked powers that supported the dictatorial, anti-religious, and corrupt Pahlavi regime for their own interests. Thus, in reality, this uprising had both a religious aspect and an anti-American aspect.

The uprising of the 19th of Dey can be considered the first blow of the Abrahamic axe against the great idol of America.

In fact, the uprising of the 19th of Dey can be seen as the first blow of the Abrahamic axe against the great idol of America. This was the first blow that the people of Qom struck against the great idol of America. After that, it continued, and today you see the situation of America; you see the state of the great idol today, which is their democracy; this is their electoral disgrace; this is their human rights, a human rights record that every few hours, or at least every few days, they kill a black person without reason, without crime, and the killer is not pursued; this is their values that they keep saying are American values, and today these values have become a source of ridicule for the whole world, even their friends mock them; this is also their paralyzed economy; the economy of America is truly paralyzed, with tens of millions unemployed, hungry, and homeless; this is the current state of America. This, of course, is significant, but more astonishing than this is that a number of people still consider America their qibla, still hope and aspire to America; America, which is in such a state.

Well, we said that the public uprising of the people was anti-American; the reason was not just that the President of the United States came and expressed his full support; this was actually a release of the accumulated grievances and anger of the nation, otherwise, for 25 years, America had exerted various pressures on the people of Iran and had made Iran its main base through the oppressive and corrupt Pahlavi regime, and the result for our country was not progress; rather, the result of America's presence in our country was economic poverty, scientific poverty, cultural corruption, and moral depravity; this is the situation they created. Now, some people think that if we engage with America and if we reconcile and befriend them, the situation of the country will become paradise; no, look at the time before the revolution and see how it was. Look at the countries that are now fawning over America; see what their situation is; their economic situation, their scientific situation. In our own region, there are [such countries], which I will not name; you know them.

Of course, after that great revolution of ours, America did not relent. It seeks to continue the same hellish domination over our country; not only over our country, but over Iran and the entire region. When some ask what the difference is between America and such and such European country, the difference is in this. America, having benefited and settled here for years, considers itself a superior power and is constantly seeking to return to the past situation; this is what makes the Iranian nation vigilant and cautious. Of course, some treacherous governments in the region also assist them.

America's interests are tied to instability and chaos in the region.

Let me also say this: America sees its interests, its benefits, in the current conditions of instability in this region, unless it can completely dominate the region; until then, America's benefit lies in the instability of the region; they themselves say this, they openly express it. A well-known expert from a famous American think tank - the American Enterprise Institute - if I name it, many who are involved in politics will recognize it, explicitly stated this; he said we do not want stability in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. It is not just Iran; [he says] in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, we do not want stability. The main issue is not the necessity or lack of necessity for instability in these countries - it is certain that instability must be created in these countries - but rather how to create instability is what matters; how to create instability. Sometimes it is done in one place with ISIS, sometimes with the sedition of 2009 and similar actions that you see they are carrying out in the region. They are pursuing instability in the region, and then some American loudmouth comes out and says Iran is causing instability in the region! No, we are the ones who are causing stability; we stand against America's destabilization. In 2009, America wanted to destabilize Iran; the same calamity that befell them in 2020. The same thing they wanted to do in Washington, especially the day before yesterday, when people went to Congress and evacuated members of Congress from inside the hidden corridors, they wanted to do that here; they wanted to create chaos here, they wanted to start a civil war, but God Almighty did not grant them success. They wanted to create chaos here in 2009; now, in 2020, God Almighty brought it back to them.

Creating a new Islamic civilization; our ultimate goal.

Of course, when we look at the path of the country and the revolution from the 19th of Dey to today, we see that at least it has gained tenfold - perhaps hundreds of times; now I do not want to use overly grand terms - our country has gained strength, stability, depth, and maturity, and has acquired experience. We were not equipped back then; today we are very equipped; we are equipped intellectually, operationally, politically, and militarily, thanks be to God; we have overcome many obstacles. The goal is to create a new Islamic civilization; this is our ultimate goal. It may be that one generation does not reach this goal, but this path will continue, and God willing, future generations will reach this goal. We must overcome the encroachments that the dominators create in our path and the malicious policies they create against our country. Our positions against the American government stem from this thought, from this reasoning and philosophy. This is regarding the 19th of Dey.

Several important challenges between Iran and the front of global arrogance:

And now regarding several current issues; among the frequently raised issues in the challenges between the Islamic Republic and the front of global arrogance led by America, one is the issue of sanctions, one is the issue of Iran's regional presence, and one is the issue of Iran's defensive capabilities and missile power, which they constantly talk about, make statements, and criticize, and on this side, we respond to them. Of course, our internal elements and officials have responded to the front of global arrogance on all three issues; both our military officials, our Foreign Ministry, and our people's slogans have responded to them; the response has been given, but now I will present the definitive and final word on this matter.

1. The issue of treacherous and malicious sanctions

Regarding the sanctions; the Western front and our enemies are obliged to end this malicious act - that is, the sanctions against the Iranian nation - and to stop it immediately; it is their duty to lift all sanctions; this is a treacherous act, a malicious act, a great and unjust enmity against the Iranian nation; not only against the Islamic Republic or the government, but they are hostile to the Iranian nation; their duty is to lift these sanctions immediately. Of course, I have said many times, I repeat again that they must lift the sanctions, and we must also organize and plan our economy in such a way that we can manage the country well even in the presence of sanctions; I have said this many times, and I say it again now. Let us assume that the sanctions will not be lifted - of course, the sanctions are gradually becoming ineffective; that is, they are becoming something nominal, but let us assume that the sanctions remain - we must plan our country's economy in such a way that we do not face problems due to the coming and going of sanctions and the enemy's maneuvers. This is also possible; I am not saying this; economic experts say this, and those who care say this; they say this is possible; there are many internal capacities. We have communicated this as a policy - that same policy of "resistance economy" - which must be pursued vigorously and seriously. Therefore, the definitive response to the issue of sanctions is this; that doing this or that is nonsense; sanctions are a betrayal, a crime against the Iranian nation that must be lifted. This is one issue.

2. The issue of Iran's stabilizing presence in the region

Regarding our regional presence, which they constantly ask why Iran is present in the region, the Islamic Republic is obliged to act in a way that its friends and supporters in the region are strengthened; this is our duty. Our presence means strengthening our friends and supporters. We must not do anything that weakens our friends and loyalists to the Islamic Republic in the region; this is the nature of our presence. And our presence is stabilizing; it has been proven that the presence of the Islamic Republic removes the causes of instability; [such as] the issue of ISIS in Iraq, various issues in Syria, and so on, which we do not want to detail now; those who are involved know these things; therefore, this regional presence is certain, must exist, and will exist.

3. The issue of Iran's defensive and missile power

Regarding defensive power; the Islamic Republic has no right to place the country's defensive situation in such a way that a worthless person like Saddam Hussein can come and bomb Tehran, shoot missiles, and his MiG-25 can fly over Tehran, and the system cannot do anything. This happened; in this very city of Tehran, either Iraqi missiles would come - which these European gentlemen had strengthened his missile capabilities so that his missiles could reach Tehran from Baghdad; now other cities are another matter - or the MiG-25 would come and bomb from high altitude, and we could do nothing; we had no capabilities. The Islamic system has no right to keep the country in this way, and by God's grace, we have not kept it this way. Today, our defensive power is such that our enemies must take Iran's capabilities into account in their calculations. When the missiles of the Islamic Republic can shoot down an American intruder aircraft that has come over Iran, or when Iranian missiles can smash the Ain al-Asad base like that, then the enemy must take this country's power and capabilities into account in its military decisions. We must not leave the country defenseless; this is our duty. We must not do anything that allows the enemy to dare and act against us.

Several points regarding the JCPOA and the commitments of the Islamic Republic of Iran:

Another issue that is frequently repeated in the words of officials, people, politicians, and in the virtual and non-virtual space is the issue of the JCPOA and the commitments of the Islamic Republic, which the Islamic Republic announced and some of these commitments were set aside; recently, they also started 20% enrichment and the government's implementation of the parliament's resolution; this is one of the discussions that is currently raised. I will mention two or three points regarding this JCPOA issue.

1. America's return to the JCPOA

The first point is that there is a discussion about whether America should return to the JCPOA or not. We have no insistence, no hurry for America to return to the JCPOA; our issue is not whether America returns to the JCPOA or not. What our logical and rational demand is, is the lifting of sanctions; the sanctions must be lifted. This is the usurped right of the Iranian nation; both America and Europe - which is hanging onto America and following America - have the duty to fulfill this right of the Iranian nation. If the sanctions are lifted, then America's return to the JCPOA will have meaning - of course, there is the issue of damages that is among our demands and will be pursued in later stages - but if the sanctions are not lifted, America's return to the JCPOA may even be detrimental to us; it is not beneficial to us, but it may be detrimental to us. Of course, I have told the officials, both in the executive and legislative branches, to proceed with caution and full adherence to the regulations in these matters.

2. The correct decision to cancel JCPOA commitments

The second point is that the parliament and government’s decision regarding the cancellation of JCPOA commitments is a correct decision; it is completely logical, rational, and acceptable. When the other side does not fulfill almost any of its commitments in the JCPOA, it makes no sense for the Islamic Republic to fulfill all its commitments in the JCPOA; therefore, for some time now, they have gradually canceled some commitments, and recently they have set aside other commitments. And of course, if they return to their commitments, we will also return to our commitments; I have said this from the beginning. From the very first time the JCPOA was raised, I said that commitment is reciprocal; their actions must correspond to our actions; whatever we are supposed to do must be matched by the other side.

Utilizing the initiative and energy of the youth alongside the experience of seasoned individuals in the management of the country.

Another topic that is worth mentioning, and I have noted here, is that I have heard questions arise that I once said in a television program that apparently was recently broadcast, that a young Hezbollah government should come to power, and I have also said that it is not advisable to exclude experienced individuals. Some said how? These do not fit together. I say no, these fit together; there is no contradiction between them. You see, I firmly believe in relying on young forces; I have had this belief for a long time. The meaning of trusting young forces is that, firstly, in some important management positions in the country, young people should be utilized and trusted; secondly, the initiatives they undertake and their energy and enthusiasm for work should be welcomed. Sometimes a young person approaches everywhere, proposes an important task that they can accomplish, and they do not respond; they come to us; then when we give it to an expert, they confirm it, saying it is correct, this is an important task, and this person can accomplish it. Well, I believe that the country should make maximum use of the initiatives of the youth, the energy of the youth, and the motivated spirit of the youth; these are our children, the children of the country, and the country has the right to utilize them. Therefore, it is both a matter of management and this point. However, when we say that young people should be utilized in management, it does not mean that we should completely discard the previous generation! No, according to necessity, sometimes a young manager should come to power, and sometimes an experienced and seasoned manager should come to power. It has always been like this since the beginning of the revolution; now some have said that the Imam appointed a 40-year-old Friday prayer leader in Tehran, which was me; well, yes, at that time in Kermanshah, they also appointed an 80-year-old Friday prayer leader; in Yazd, Shiraz, Mashhad, and Tabriz, they appointed great scholars, men who were around 70 years old; different necessities exist. At the beginning of the revolution, the great Imam appointed a young man who was less than 30 years old at the head of the IRGC; at the head of the army's ground forces, he appointed a man who was around 60 years old; such are the necessities. Sometimes it is necessary for a young manager to come to power, and sometimes it is necessary for an experienced manager to come to power. Now, regarding the young Hezbollah government, God willing, I will speak later, closer to the elections; I have words to say that I will present later; but the idea that if we say experienced individuals should be utilized, it contradicts the use of young people, no, there is no contradiction at all.

And of course, it should also be noted that some middle-aged individuals are like young people; the age of Martyr Soleimani was around sixty, but you saw how he moved like young people in the mountains, plains, and deserts, and was not afraid of anything. Of course, the public has little information about his activities; what I know is much more than this. Sometimes in 24 hours, in one country, he exerted so much effort and activity that one felt tired just reading about how much effort and movement had taken place in 24 or 36 hours; some are like this.

Several points regarding the issue of COVID-19: 1) The vaccine produced in Iran is a source of pride and dignity.

The last topic is COVID-19, which I will reiterate. First of all, the vaccine that was prepared for COVID-19 is a source of pride; let this not be denied; this is a source of dignity for a country, a source of pride for the country. Of course, they are pursuing the vaccine through various means, and in one case, it reached human testing and was successful. They should not try to deny this. Some people consider every significant achievement in the country to be improbable. When our youth had created these nuclear centrifuges, and I mentioned them several times in speeches, a few of these scientific figures wrote to me that, "Sir! Do not be deceived by them; they cannot do such a thing"; they denied it, saying it was impossible, but you saw what happened and where it reached. The same situation occurred with stem cells; when the late Kazemi and these dear young people who are thankfully still here managed to produce stem cells, which is a very significant achievement in human biological issues, some people at that time sent us messages or wrote letters - now I do not remember the letter - saying do not believe too much. Some came here and told me; they said do not believe too much in these; they are not very credible. No, it was credible, and we believed it, and it was correct, and after that, it advanced tenfold. The same is true now; they have produced this vaccine, and it has undergone human testing; God willing, they will produce a better and more complete version - that is, it will become more complete day by day - it has been successful so far, and God willing, it will continue to be successful. This is the first point that this is a source of pride. I thank all those involved, the Ministry of Health, and others who were involved in the production of the vaccine.

2) The prohibition of the entry of American, British, and French vaccines into the country.

The second point regarding COVID-19 is that the entry of American and British vaccines into the country is prohibited. I have told the officials this, and I am now saying it publicly. If the Americans had been able to produce vaccines, this COVID-19 disaster would not have occurred in their own country. A few days ago, in 24 hours, they had four thousand casualties. If they know how to produce vaccines, if their Pfizer factory can produce vaccines, why do they want to give it to us? Well, they should consume it themselves so that they do not have so many deaths and casualties. The same goes for the British. Therefore, there is no trust in them; I really do not trust them; I do not know, sometimes it is the case that they want to test the vaccine on other nations to see if it works or not. Therefore, vaccines should not be procured from America and Britain. Of course, if vaccines are to be procured from other places - where it is reliable - there is no problem.

3) The necessity of continuing health precautions.

The third point regarding COVID-19 is that public health precautions must continue. Now, the casualties have decreased a little. Of course, it is still high; a hundred or a hundred and some in a day is not a small number; it is very high; but now, since it has decreased somewhat compared to before, people should not think that the issue is resolved and over; no, they should continue the precautions; the country's officials who are responsible in this regard should follow their duties.

4) The necessity of utilizing new experiences.

The fourth point regarding COVID-19 is that some individuals have conducted good experiences in this area and have produced a drug that has been tested under the supervision of responsible authorities and has been confirmed, and it has been approved as effective; these should not be opposed. There are many people around who may do something new. Not that every claim should be accepted; no, but the claims that are made should be examined closely.

Hope for the future and success in economic, cultural, political, and military fields.

My final word to our dear nation and the dear people of Qom and the esteemed seminary is that yesterday, the Iranian nation, under the shadow of unity, under the shadow of firm determination, under the shadow of piety, under the shadow of timely presence, and under the shadow of struggle, was able to carry out this great revolution, able to accomplish this great task that changed the course of world history and humanity; today, the same nation, with the same capabilities and with more experience, with the facilities that have been provided many times over, is present and can overcome all obstacles. This nation can succeed in economic matters, in production issues, in currency value issues, in cultural matters, in political matters, in military matters, and so on. We hope that God Almighty will increase His grace and kindness upon this nation day by day.

May God's peace be upon the Supreme Guardian of God, the Awaited One, Hujjat ibn al-Hasan (may our souls be sacrificed for him), whose assistance is always our support; and may God's mercy and blessings be upon the pure and blessed soul of our great Imam, who opened this path for us.

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