First of all, the Leader reminded the audience of the abundant blessings of the fasting month of Ramadhan and called on the public to take advantage of this opportunity. He said: One important issue that is repeated in the prayers of the auspicious month of Ramadhan is drawing people's attention to the Hereafter after the end of this transient material world, that is, afterlife, which begins from the grave, and Barzakh or the intermediary period between death and resurrection, and culminates in the world of the Judgment Day on which the final fate is decided – the bliss of heaven or the fires of hell. Some people do not like it when they are reminded of death. They should not dislike it because insistence on this fact is a cure for the minds and souls, and the necessary medicine for psychological health. It is a cure for our selfishness, our ignorance and our lust.

Ayatollah Khamenei underlined the fact that the adoption of the policies of the Economy of Resistance has been the product of collective wisdom and longtime consultations, saying: “After the announcement of these policies, many economists have endorsed them and the Economy of Resistance has now entered the common economic literature and culture of the country.”

After this introduction, he touched on some of the country’s many potentialities which can set the stage for implementation of the policies of the Economy of Resistance. He referred to young university graduates who are self-confident and have specialized in their fields to ensure the future of the country: “The existence of so many young university graduates in the country is one of the blessings of the Islamic Revolution. The Leader underlined that currently there are 10 million graduates and more than 4 million university students in the country, and this figure is 25 times higher when compared to the early days of the Revolution. He added: “This number of young and specialized graduates is a source of honour for the Islamic system.”

The Leader said Iran’s first position in terms of oil and gas reserves is unique and forms the country’s economic backbone. Iran, he said, has a unique geographical location as a bridge connecting the North to the South and the East to the West. He said: “Iran with its 70-million plus population has 15 countries in its immediate neighbourhood, having a combined population of 370 million, and this is indicative of our potential. The gross national production will see a big change if only the domestic market is taken into account.”

The Leader, however, added: The big challenge facing our country is laxity in action and a superficial look at the issues.Verbal and intellectual debates do not push plans ahead. The resolution of issues requires action and long-term concrete plans with practical work.Ayatollah Khamenei said the main condition for the realization of the Economy of Resistance is firm and serious determination andreliance on expertise. Industrious management constitutes trust in God, and to put this into practice, proper insight and prudence is needed without any fear for marginal issues.The Leader stressed that what he says in this meeting and in other public meetings is exactly the same things that he says to officials, including the President and others in private meetings. Ayatollah Khamenei said regarding the nuclear talks: I consider the negotiating team as trustworthy, brave, courageous and religious. Everyone should know this.The Leader addressed the critics of the nuclear talks and said: “I’m not opposed to criticism and consider it as necessary and helpful, but the fact is that criticism is easier than actual work, because seeing the faults of the opposite party is easy, but understanding its difficulties and concerns is difficult.”

Regarding the nuclear talks between Iran and the US, Ayatollah Khamenei noted that the Americans themselves asked for these negotiations.They made a request and chose an intermediary. One of the honourable personalities in the region came to Iran and met with me, saying the American president had personally called him and sought his help. The American president said to that honourable figure that Washington wants to resolve the nuclear matter with Iran and is ready to lift the sanctions it has imposed. Two fundamental points existed in his statements: one was that he said they would recognize Iran as a nuclear power.

Second, he said that they would lift sanctions. Through that intermediary, he asked us to negotiate with them and to resolve the matter. I said to that honourable intermediary that we do not trust the Americans and their statements. He said, “try it once more" and we said, "very well, we will try it this time as well." This was how negotiations with the Americans began.The day when we entered into the nuclear negotiations, we had an important advantage. We felt that we were entering the arena from the position of strength. Our advantage on that day was that we had managed to produce 20-percent uranium while we were under sanctions and while all nuclear powers had refused to give us 20-percent enriched uranium for the Tehran research reactor.

After this, The Americans reached the conclusion that sanctions do not produce the desired effect anymore.Therefore, they pursued other options and they realized that without dependence on others, we can achieve advanced technologies. We relied on this logic and we entered into the negotiations.

However the leader said: we were after a good agreement. I should add that both we and the Americans speak about a good agreement, but when we speak about a good agreement, we mean a fair agreement. On the contrary, when the Americans speak about a good agreement, they mean an agreement dictated by them.We had just begun to move forward in the negotiations when they began to show their greed. Every day, they said something new and every day they made a different excuse. Their six months became one year and it even became longer with the passage of time. Negotiations began to take various forms. It was their haggling and greed that lengthened the negotiations. Besides, they issued threats. They threatened to impose more sanctions. They even threatened to launch military attacks. They issued threats "on the table" and "below the table" and other such things.

The Leader drew attention to the most important red lines of Iran in the nuclear talks and said: the Americans insisted on long-term limits and restrictions. We said that we do not agree with such limits. Even during this restriction period that we would accept, research, development and production should continue.Another important point that I would like to stress is the immediate lifting of the economic, financial and banking sanctions,at the time of signing of any agreement, whether the sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council or by the US. And any remaining sanctions ought to be lifted at reasonable intervals.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that another fundamental point is that Iran is skeptical about the International Atomic Energy Agency because it has shown that it is neither independent nor just. It is actually under the influence of big powers.The Leader also made it clear that he does not agree with extraordinary investigations either, nor does he agree with questioning political personalities in any way nor with inspecting military centers. In conclusion, Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated that Iran’s agreement with the 6 global powers should be on the basis of dignity and the interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran