In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master Muhammad, and upon his pure household, and may God curse all their enemies

The last century began with an English coup d’etat while this century begins with elections and government on the basis of the peoples’ votes

Once again, I wish to congratulate all the dear people of Iran and I ask Allah the Exalted to bestow a blessed and auspicious year on all of them. We have entered into the year 1400. According to the common viewpoint, this year is the year of entrance into a new century. Although it may not be correct technically speaking, people say that we have entered into a new century.

If we want to make a small but significant comparison with the country’s entrance into the previous century – the year 1300 – the latter was the beginning of Reza Khan’s dictatorial and dependent regime. It was in fact an English coup launched by Reza Khan and that regime was in fact a dependent, tyrannical and English regime. That was how the country entered into 1300.

This year, the year 1400, is the year of elections which means government on the basis of independence, the people’s votes and national self-confidence. So, our entrance into this century has such an important difference with the entrance into the year 1300 – the 14th century. I hope that God will drive all our affairs forward with the same proportion.

I have prepared certain issues to discuss: the first is about this year’s slogan – which stresses production once more but with a focus on the support that should be provided for it and the obstacles that should be eliminated. Later, I will discuss the issue of the upcoming elections and I will raise a few points about it and finally, I will raise a few short points about foreign events – the issues of the day and also the Bar-Jaam [JCPOA] – with the dear Iranian nation.

The achievements made in the year 1399

As I mentioned in my New Year message, the goal pursued in the year 1399 – which had been named “The year of surge in production” – was not completely achieved, but to be fair, production moved forward in important areas. In certain cases, one could describe its progress as a surge. And in other cases, if production did not witness a surge, it certainly made progress. I have a rather long list of the goods whose production increased. Of course, I do not intend to read the entire list, but primarily, household appliances, tires, aluminum, petrochemical and steel products are the goods which really witnessed a boost in production in the year 1399. This should continue. The movement of production should continue to improve and the obstacles in the way of production should be eliminated.

Some of the obstacles in the way of production

As for the obstacles, I might have mentioned two, three of them in my New Year message, but I wish to discuss them today as well: For example, unnecessary imports, smuggling, unnecessary and cumbersome rules and regulations, and the refusal of banks and the banking system to help boost production. These are some of the obstacles, but that is not all. They have given me a report in which the obstacles in the way of production are mentioned in detail. In my opinion, it is good for experts to present such a report to the people on television so that they know that eliminating some of these obstacles falls on the people themselves and that some fall on executive or, in general, governmental organizations – whether, the executive branch or other branches. In any case, the obstacles ahead of production are many and they should be eliminated.

Support for production

And another issue is about support for production such as providing legal incentives and importing the materials on which production is dependent. For example, some of our products need raw materials which should be imported from abroad and we also need some machinery whose importation should be facilitated. A major way to help production is to do something to increase the people’s purchasing power because without demand, a boost in production will fail to achieve its purpose. The people’s purchasing power is the same as the value of national currency. This is a very important point that should be discussed by experts in due circumstances. Another way to help production is to do something to eliminate dealers and third parties because they increase prices, and producers and consumers will be hurt – both will be hurt. If dealers and third parties, those whose existence is unnecessary, are eliminated, this will help production a great deal. There are other such measures as well. If these things are pursued seriously in the year 1400, it will surely bring about a transformation in the area of the economy.

Fighting against corruption

There are other conditions as well which should be observed. One of these conditions is combating corruption. Combating corruption is a very important issue. Corruption channels and outlets should be blocked. This means reforming the banking system and the customs system. The path of corruption should be completely blocked.

Having competent managers and benefiting from capacities are necessary conditions for economic blossoming

I want to say to the Iranian nation that because of some problems in the economic situation and in the people’s livelihood conditions, some individuals have used the opportunity to fabricate negative stories, saying things such as “nothing can be done in any way.” Some people are like this. Some individuals in cyberspace, in our press and primarily and unfortunately in foreign propaganda networks use the problems that the people face as a means to portray a completely dark picture of things conveying the feeling that nothing can be done. However, I will tell you that this is not at all the case. With its domestic capacities and capabilities, our economy can be one of the most prospering economies in the region and even in the world. We have many capacities. We have numerous resources. And using these resources does not require any miracle whatsoever. These are issues which could be resolved by officials and managers with determination, a sense of responsibility and great endeavor. The condition for this is to have strong and anti-corruption management in the country as well as a comprehensive economic plan. If these things exist, then these capacities could be exploited.

The World Bank experts are saying now – it is not what we claim, rather this is being said by well-known and first-tier economists in the world, working as experts for the World Bank – that Iran’s economy is 18th among the best economies in the world. In other words, we are the 18th economy among 200-plus countries in the world and that has been achieved despite the current sanctions and numerous problems. They say that if untapped capacities are used – later on, I will mention these capacities – Iran’s economy will move up six spots, rising to the 12th position. This is a very important point. With an 80-plus-million population and despite all these problems that others have imposed on us – sanctions and the like – the country is thankfully alive and up and running and it is also the 18th economy in the world. This is not a minor achievement. We should pay attention to this.

​Geographic capacities

As for the capacities that have been mentioned by the World Bank experts, there are two capacities: geographic and human capacities. Geographic capacities include the geographic area of the country and the country’s access to international waters. We are in close proximity to the Sea of Oman and the Indian Ocean and therefore, we have access to international waters. Our neighbors, amounting to 14, 15 countries, have a population of about 600 million people. This is a very important opportunity and capacity. There is also a good transit network in the east, and west and in the north and south. Our country has such a geographical location and it has such a capacity. Of course, the enemies are active in order to prevent us from utilizing these capacities, but with good endeavors on our part, we can benefit from them. These are geographic capacities.

​2. Human capacities

The human capacities include a working-age population. Thanks to an increase in population occurring in the 1360s – during which time a number of people made harsh criticisms about the increase in the population – we have a large number of youth who have entered the job market. In other words, the country is a young country where there are numerous human resources ready to enter into the job market. We should be able to activate the educated forces who are working-age. With this astonishing expansion in our university education and with so many students and graduates, we have a large number of educated youth who are capable of working. These are the points mentioned in the World Bank report, but there are other important capacities, some of which I would like to mention.

3. domestic markets and natural resources

One is the domestic market capacity. In other words, Iranian producers have an 80-million market at their disposal. This means that every producer is also a consumer. Overall, an 80-million market in a big country is available to Iranian producers and this is an important opportunity in itself. Another important capacity is natural resources, some of which – but not all – we are using today, but we use them in the raw form. These resources include oil and gas. They are being consumed in the raw form while they could be used in much better ways in order to create value added. Other examples include agricultural lands, pastures and forests which are great sources of wealth available to the Iranian nation. We have a good rank in the world in terms of underground minerals such as oil and gas, zinc, copper, iron ore and the like. Our rank ranges from first and second to ninth. We have such great natural resources. Well, this is a very important capacity.

Besides, important infrastructure has been built in the last 30 years which did not exist before: dams, power plants, rail and road transportation and many other infrastructure. Well, if a country with such characteristics and with all these capacities formulates good economic plans and if it benefits from efficient management which is strong and capable of resolving the people’s issues, which cares about the people and which is anti-corruption - later on I will expand on the characteristics of such a manager in my discussion about elections –then that country will turn into an economically advanced country resistant against all sanctions. This does not mean that the sanctions will be lifted. Rather, it means that it does not matter if they are lifted or not. When there is a thriving and progressive economy, others will need that economy and in such circumstances, sanctions will not make any sense.

The necessity for the people to show their cooperation

Another point which is good to be discussed on the economic matters of the country is that eliminating the problems requires the people’s cooperation. If the people enter any area, that area will surely improve. This has been the case until now. Whenever the people entered any area, that area improved! What I want to say is that the people themselves can play a role in investing in production. This includes those who have capital and who use it in some unnecessary business dealings and transactions – they could use their capital for boosting production - and those who want to help others such as the pious help movement launched during the coronavirus pandemic as all the people participated in it. On the issue of production too, those who are economically well-off can create employment for one, two, ten people and help employ them.

The necessity for revolutionary associations and popular charity organizations to enter the arena

Of course, this requires popular organization. There are many who wish to help, but they do not know how. Charity organizations established by the people, revolutionary associations and mosque officials active in these areas should organize these people so that everyone knows how they can participate with a small contribution. People should not think that everyone should have a billion [toman] or more in order to participate in production. Even with small capital, one can help the production of the country. Sometimes, a rural family can be revived and rendered self-sufficient with a few head of cattle. A family living in a city could be rendered self-sufficient with a sewing or weaving machine. Such things could be done in abundance because they help the people, encourage the fight against poverty and boost production.

Economic siege and sanctions are big crimes

Now that we are discussing the economy, I wish to raise a point about the sanctions – of course, I will return to this discussion later on. First of all, America’s economic siege and sanctions against us and against some other countries is a big crime committed by a government. Sanctions should not be simply viewed as a political or diplomatic tactic. They are really a criminal activity. That they impose sanctions on a nation with the result being that it cannot import medication and medical instruments and foodstuff is really a big crime. Of course, we are thankfully capable of pulling ourselves out of this situation – and we have indeed done so – but there are some countries that cannot do so. This crime can only be committed by a government which can massacre 220,000 people in the course of one day [reference to the nuclear bombardment of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the US]. This crime was committed by powers such as the US. You should know that sanctions and economic siege are definitely big criminal activities. This is the first point.

The creation of domestic technology is one of the benefits of the sanctions for our country

Despite this, the sanctions against our country – this crime committed against our country – the sanctions had certain benefits as they managed to turn this threat into an opportunity. In other words, our diligent youth showed determination by providing the needs of the country in some of the areas on which the country was completely dependent. They produced those goods inside the country. This is different from the surge in production. This is actually the creation of technology inside the country. It is actually an endeavor to do something new in the country. Sometimes, one witnesses reports broadcast on television about such endeavors. Youth manufacture products which render the country self-sufficient since their products are even of higher quality than their foreign counterparts and they are also cheaper. These products are produced by our own youth and we can use them quite willingly. So, they cut off our dependence in certain areas. This became a lesson for us. When we watch a youth on television saying that he as well as others achieved a certain feat, this becomes a lesson for us.

The ways to confront sanctions: Either begging the sanctioner or activating domestic forces and production inside the country

We could take two approaches in confronting the sanctions: One is to go to the sanctioner, begging him to decrease or lift the sanctions that he has imposed on us. Then, he will say, “Alright, you have to do this and that – a bunch of arrogant demands – and then, I will lift some of them.” This is one path, which is in fact the path of humiliation, destruction and retrogression.

Another approach is to activate our domestic forces. We have good capabilities. We should activate these forces so as to manufacture the products on which sanctions have been imposed. When the other sides sees that such products are being manufactured inside our country, he himself will get moving because he wants to profit from the product on the market in other countries – this is one of the main sources of profits for governments. As a result of this, the sanctions will either be automatically lifted or rendered ineffectual.

Our nation has chosen the second path. This is really the case. I see that our dear nation has chosen the second path and has made great achievements, the last one being the achievements related to the coronavirus. If you remember, in the beginning of the spread of the coronavirus, we did not even have masks. We did not have enough resources to produce masks in the country. The same was true of disinfectants. However, a national endeavor was made and as a result, we became self-sufficient in producing masks. Others would steal masks – this occurred in Esfand of 1398 and Farvardin of 1399. A European country bought masks from China, but another European country snatched it away in the middle of the transportation. There was such a shortage of masks. Well, we produced them on our own. Our youth and our people produced masks and disinfectants at home and at mosque. It was really a manifestation of cutting the dependence on foreign countries. And we continued to move forward until we faced the challenge to produce a vaccine. Today, vaccines are thankfully being tested and produced in several ways. This is a source of reputation for the country. Fair-minded foreign analysts are praising our country for this. This path was tested by the Iranian nation and they will continue it by Allah’s favor.

Turning threats into opportunities by relying on domestic forces

Thousands of youth in knowledge-based companies and production centers are busy manufacturing products under foreign sanctions and these products both have better quality and, as I said earlier, are cheaper. The same is true of other fields of knowledge. No matter how much we speak about the talents of our youth, it is really not enough. In the area of new sciences, such as nanotechnology, we are among the top countries in the world. As for scientific articles, according to scientific databases in the world, in the course of the past 20 years – this is because nanotechnology is a new science – Iran wrote, for example, 10 articles in the area of nano, but in 2020, it produced 12,000 articles. In other words, in the space of 20 years, we improved from ten articles to 12,000! Such tasks are thankfully being carried out in the country. These are important achievements.

As for military areas, the country’s progress is thankfully becoming more and more noticeable, brilliant and, in the eyes of some people, astonishing because these military products increase the country’s foreign security. This is very important for the country: “Now the army is, by the will of Allah, the fortress of the subjects” [Nahjul Balaghah, Letter 53]. The military forces are in fact a fortress for the security of the country. Therefore, the threat of sanctions – which is a real threat and a crime in the true sense of the word – could be turned into an opportunity if we rely on our domestic capacities and forces.

The country’s economy should not be tied to the lifting of the sanctions

The last point about economic matters is that I firmly advise the dear officials of the country – whether the ones already in office or the ones who will later assume office – not to tie the economy of the country to the lifting of the sanctions. In the electoral campaigns, candidates will discuss the economy. They should not make the economy of the country contingent on others’ decisions and on the lifting of the sanctions. We should assume that the sanctions will remain in place. Therefore, we should plan the economy of the country on the basis of the existence of the sanctions. And it is possible to do such planning. You should not wait for others. One of the problems with our economy in the past three, four years was that we constantly said, “If the sanctions are lifted, we can do such and such things and if there is foreign investment, such and such things will happen.” Well, these “ifs” keep the country waiting, but there should not be any sense of uncertainty and indecision in the economy. This is a great loss. These statements were about the economy and this year’s slogan. By Allah’s favor, everyone should try to realize the goal of supporting production and eliminating the obstacles in its way.

The importance of the elections

As for presidential and city council elections, due in Khordad, in almost three months – which are really important elections – I wish to raise a few points:

The first point is about the significance of elections. Elections in our country are very important both domestically and internationally.

The domestic significance of elections

Domestically, elections are in fact an act of renovating the country. When an election is held, fresh individuals enter the arena and assume the responsibilities. This is in fact renovating the executive apparatus of the country. This is a very important issue because a new impetus is given to the executive organization of the country. Well, the executive branch has a very heavy duty. Later on, I will expand on this issue. Therefore, a group of fresh and motivated individuals will enter the arena and this is a very auspicious and blessed phenomenon for the country.

The international significance of elections

Internationally, elections and the people’s presence and participation are a sign of national power. All of us should know and acknowledge that defensive and diplomatic capabilities empower the country. There is no doubt about this, but above all, it is the people in a country who are the most important source of power. When everyone in the world – enemies and friends – feel that a nation is vigilant, awake, determined and motivated, such a nation and country will be respected by everyone including friends and enemies. Therefore, the people’s presence will strengthen the country. And elections are the manifestation of the people’s presence. Revolutionary gatherings are a manifestation of popular presence, the most important of which is undoubtedly elections.

Well, I have spoken at length about “Strong Iran” before. We should try to strengthen the country. When a country and nation sees the enmity of the enemies, transgressors and arrogant powers, the way to confront them is to achieve power. “Strong Iran” and the idea of strengthening the country is a national slogan. Everyone believes in this slogan. Even those who have disagreements with me believe in the slogan of “Strong Iran”! Undoubtedly, a strong Iran is better than a weak, powerless and subservient Iran. It is important for Iran to be strong, respectable and dignified. Now, who gives this power to Iran? As I mentioned earlier, it is the people who do so. It is the people who empower the country and their presence and participation – the essence and also the amount of their participation – will surely influence national power.

The enemies’ endeavor to discourage the people from participating in elections

Let me add that – this is based on the information available to us – the espionage and intelligence services of certain countries – the worst ones being the US and the Zionist regime – have been trying since a while ago, not today, to undermine the upcoming elections in Khordad. They either accuse the organizers saying that the elections have been “engineered” – in fact, they level their accusations against the organizers of the elections or the honorable Guardian Council – or they discourage the people by saying “Your votes are of no consequence in improving the circumstances. So, why would you tire yourselves participating in the elections?” They are adopting these courses of action with complete intensity.

The enemy is making the most of cyberspace

And they are making the most of cyberspace. Well, the necessary regulations are unfortunately not observed in cyberspace despite all my emphases. In certain aspects, cyberspace is completely free of any supervision. Those who are in charge should be careful. All countries in the world are controlling their cyberspace, but we are proud of letting it roam freely! There is no reason to be proud of this in any way. Cyberspace should be managed. The people should be able to use it freely and this is completely alright, but this instrument should not be put at the disposal of the enemy so that he will conspire against the country and the nation. They are taking advantage of cyberspace and their goal is to reduce the people’s participation in the elections with psychological methods. I hope that the people will reject and disappoint the enemy and that they will not forget about this important issue. This is the first issue which was about the significance of elections.

The significance of the presidency as the heaviest managerial responsibility of the country

The second issue is about the significance of the presidency. The presidency is a very important issue. The most important and influential managerial responsibility is the presidency. Now, some people claim that the president has no authority, that he is a mere “caterer” and that he has just a 12, 15-percent authority. I do not know how they calculate these things! It is several years now that they have been saying these things here and there, but all of them are untrue. These statements are made either out of a lack of responsibility or out of ignorance, or God forbid with ulterior motives. This is not the case.

The presidency is one of the heaviest and most demanding responsibilities. To be exact, it is not “one of the heaviest”, rather it is “the heaviest” managerial responsibility in the country! Almost all managerial centers of the country are at the disposal of the president. The judiciary branch and military organizations have certain managerial responsibilities as well, but compared to the ones in the executive branch, their managerial responsibilities amount to a few percent above zero. Almost all managerial responsibilities – thousands of responsibilities – are at the disposal of the head of the executive branch.

The entire ratified budget of the country is at the disposal of the president. This is because the head of the Planning and Budget Organization of the country is a vice president and therefore, it is directly supervised by the presidency. The same is true of the country’s governmental resources. Most of such resources are at the disposal of the president. Therefore, the other managerial responsibilities at the periphery of the executive branch are really insignificant. The presidency has such an important status.

Now, you want to elect a president. Therefore, notice what important responsibility falls on us voters. Of course, my vote is as significant as the vote of a 17, 18-year-old boy. It is neither more nor less important than his. We want to go and choose a president and therefore, we should know what an important responsibility falls on the president. This is another point.

Candidates should pay attention to the heaviness of their responsibility

In the third point, I wish to address candidates, those who want to run for the presidency as election time has already begun. It is some time now that individuals, one after another, have been announcing their candidacy. I want to say to them that we expect them to be aware of the heaviness of the task in hand. You who have run for the presidency should know what responsibility you want to undertake and what important duty you want to shoulder. You should know this. If you find yourself capable, very well, you can enter the electoral campaign. However, it should not be the case that you are unaware of how heavy the job is. First of all, you should know the main problems and issues of the country. The issues of the country are not one or two. There are hundreds of issues tens of which, at least, are the most important issues of the country. You should know these issues and know where the problem lies. Then, you should have a plan and solution for resolving those issues although your solution might be general. Even if it is general, you should have one.

You should know the economy because it is important. There are important tasks in the area of the economy including boosting national production, improving national investment, strengthening national currency and attending to inflation and other such issues. After that, there is the issue of the country’s security which is a very important issue. The next issue is social maladies as they are one of the most important issues of the country. Another issue is confronting the complex policies that exist in the world because you need to confront them: this is foreign policy. We could equally mention the issue of culture. You should know what is happening in the country, what the expectations are and what should be done. You should know these things. If you see the capability in yourself to undertake this heavy and important responsibility, then you are welcome. You can enter the arena. However, if you do not find yourself capable of doing that, you should not enter the arena. Narrations mention that a very bad fate awaits those who cannot undertake a responsibility and who accept it anyway. However, I will not mention it. So, this is another point related to candidates.

The characteristics of an ideal president

The next point is addressed to the masses of the people. I wish to mention the characteristics that an ideal president should have. You people should see if this is really the case. These characteristics are not my personal viewpoints. It seems that anyone looking for the welfare of the country wants such a president. First of all, he should be competent. He should possess managerial qualities and managerial competence. Secondly, he should be religious. If he were irreligious, it would not be possible to trust him. An irreligious person will sell the country and its interests and people. Therefore, he should be religious. After that, he should be after justice and fight against corruption. This is one of the most important characteristics that should exist in a president. He should pursue justice in the real sense of the word and want to fight against corruption in the true sense of the word. He should have a revolutionary and jihadi performance. One cannot work with a pretentious and ceremonial manner. With all the fundamental issues that exist in the country, there is a need for a jihadi and revolutionary performance. He should have such a performance. 

He should believe in domestic capabilities. There are some individuals who do not believe in domestic capabilities at all. They repeat the same cliché that inside the country, it is only possible to build clay ewers. However, they do not know what is happening inside the country. Once, a gentleman said something about our defensive capabilities. Then, I said that we should hold an exhibition so that such gentlemen come and see what is happening in the country in terms of defensive capabilities. Presidential candidates should be really sure about the capabilities of the country. They should also believe in the youth. They should recognize the youth as the engine of the country’s general movement and they should trust them. I have been in contact with youth since long ago and I have been trusting them for years over different issues. In whichever area the youth enter – it is not necessary to mention which areas – they really untie difficult knots and solve the problems. So, the president should believe in the youth. He should also believe in the people and be an optimistic person. He should not be a hopeless and pessimistic person with a bitter and dark outlook towards the future.

If there is such a person with the power to manage problems, he will surely help the country reach the ideal point. You should find a president with such characteristics. Of course, it is not easy for all people to find such a person. Well, they can refer to others and ask for their opinion. In any case, they should try to find a candidate with such characteristics. We should ask God to help the Iranian nation find and elect a person with such characteristics.

Elections are a symbol of national unity

The last point about elections is that our dear nation should look at elections as a symbol of national unity, not as a symbol of division, discord and polarity. They should abandon wrong divisions such as left and right and the like. What is important is the future of the country and of our future generation. What is important is the dignified Islamic system in the country. These are the important issues. They should consider these things and stand together in the true sense of the word. Of course, there are differences in opinion, in taste and in political tendencies and there are differences of opinion between ethnicities and denominations. These are completely alright. They used to exist before as well. They exist now and will exist in the future too. It is alright, but these things should not undermine national unity, set the people against one another and create poles in the country. Well, these statements were related to the elections. 

The failure of the US’s maximum pressures against Iran

The last point is about the Bar-Jaam and regional matters. I wish to raise a few points about this as well. The first issue is that the US’s maximum pressure policy failed. The previous idiot devised the maximum pressure policy in order to put Iran in a weak position and ultimately force it into sitting at the negotiating table and giving in to their arrogant demands. Well, he disappeared into thin air and he departed in disgrace. Even his departure was not a normal one as it was accompanied with disgrace for himself and his country. His actions disgraced the US. Thankfully, the Islamic Republic has stood with complete power and strength and by Allah’s favor, our country and our nation are respectable. Therefore, they should know that the maximum pressure policy has failed until now, and from now on too, if the new US administration wishes to pursue the maximum pressure policy, they will fail as well. There will be no trace of the new politicians either and they will go, but Islamic Iran will prevail with complete power and dignity. And by Allah’s favor, the words of advice that I offered will help Iran become stronger on a daily basis.

The Islamic Republic’s policy on the Bar-Jaam will not be violated

The second point is that the country’s policy on the interaction with the Bar-Jaam sides and on the nuclear deal itself has already been explicitly declared. This policy will not be violated in any way. It is a policy which has already been announced and which is adopted with everyone’s agreement. It is not the case that this policy was an exception to other policies. Everyone has agreed to it.

This policy is that the Americans should lift all sanctions. After that, we will verify. If the sanctions have been lifted, we will return to our Bar-Jaam commitments. We will return without any problem. This is a definite policy. We do not consider American promises to be valid. If they say that they will lift them on paper, this is of no use. What is necessary is action! They should lift the sanctions in practice. Subsequently, we will verify their statements to make sure that the sanctions have been lifted. Then, we will resume our commitments.

Things have changed to the advantage of Iran

Surprisingly, some Americans have issues with the nuclear deal. I have heard some Americans say that this year’s circumstances are different from the years 1394 and 1395 when the Bar-Jaam was signed and that therefore, the deal should change as well. I too agree that things have changed compared to the years 1394 and 1395, but not to the advantage of the US. They have changed to our advantage. Things have changed to the advantage of Iran, not to your advantage. Iran has become much stronger compared to 1394. It has managed to rely on itself and it has found self-confidence. However, you have become disreputable in this period of time. During this time, an administration held office in the US which made your country disreputable with its statements, actions and behavior. Economic problems have engulfed your entire country. So, things are not to your advantage. Yes, circumstances have changed, but to your disadvantage. If the Bar-Jaam is supposed to change, it should change in a way that Iran will profit from it, not the Americans. We thankfully rendered the sanctions ineffectual with the help of many knowledge-based companies, the youth’s great movement and various innovations in this regard and by Allah’s favor, we will continue this path, but you, on the other hand, have faced more problems every day. It is not even clear either what the fate of this President [new] will be.

Iran is in no rush

I want to add that we are in no hurry at all about what we offered as a solution. Some people say that there is an opportunity and that one should not let opportunities slip our grasp. I too believe that opportunities should be seized on time and that they should not be missed, but we should not hurry either. Being in a hurry sometimes leads to more harm than wasting opportunities. An example is on the issue of the Bar-Jaam. We should not have hurried. All their promises existed only on paper, but ours materialized on the ground. We fulfilled our obligations in a hasty manner, but they did not fulfil their obligations. It is a very importation issue to know that we have abundant patience and that we are doing our job. If they accept and then act on the policy that we announced, then everything will be alright, but if they do not do it, things will remain the way they are now and that will be fine.

Lack of trust in the US

When we said that they should lift the sanctions first, I heard some politicians in the world say, “it does not make any difference who should begin first. You say that the Americans should begin first and the Americans say you should begin first.” The issue is not about who should begin first. The issue is that during the Obama administration, we trusted the Americans and we did what we were supposed to do on the basis of the Bar-Jaam, but they did not honor their commitments. On paper, they said that the sanctions had been lifted, but their agents said to every country willing to sign a contract with us, “it is dangerous. It is risky because it is not clear what will happen.” In other words, they frightened the investors. That is how they acted. We do not trust them and their promises are of no value to us.

The US’s wrong policy in the region

The Americans made a mistake in the way they behaved towards us. The Americans unfortunately are delusional about all regional matters. In the present time too, they are making mistakes. Their oppressive support for the Zionist regime is wrong. Their cruel presence in Syria – their extensive presence east of the Euphrates – is definitely wrong. Their cooperation with the Saudis in striking the oppressed people of Yemen is definitely wrong.

The issue of Palestine will never be forgotten

Their policies on Palestine are wrong policies as well. The issue of Palestine will never be forgotten in the world of Islam. They are taking delight in that a few handful of small governments normalized relations with the Zionist regime. However, these few governments are of no consequence. The Islamic Ummah will not forget the issue of Palestine and will not let go of it. The Americans should know this.

The Saudis’ failure in making the Yemenis surrender

The same is true of the issue of Yemen. The transgression against Yemen began during the Democratic administration before Trump. In other words, it was not Trump who waged the Yemen war. The Saudis waged the Yemen war during the Democratic administration of Obama. The war actually began with the US’s green light. The US sanctioned the war and helped the Saudis. They gave the Saudis numerous military resources. To what end? In order to make the people of Yemen surrender in the course of 15 days, one month, after having dropped so many bombs on them. Well, they made a mistake. They have not managed to do it in the past 6 years!

The war against Yemen began on such a day. Six years have passed from that day, but they have not managed to force the Yemenis to surrender. I wish to put this question to the Americans: The day when you gave the Saudis the green light to enter into the Yemen war, did you know in what quagmire the Saudis would get stuck? You knew into what quagmire you were dragging the Saudis as in the present time, they can neither stay nor leave. The problem has two facets for the Saudis in the present time. They can neither stop the war nor continue it. Both options of the issue are detrimental to them. Did you Americans know what disaster you were creating for the Saudis? If you knew it and you did it anyway, then how poor your allies are because you treat them like that and if you did not know it, then again how poor your allies are for trusting you and for coordinating their plans with you who are not familiar with regional issues. Therefore, you should know that you do not know the region and regional nations and that you are making a mistake.

I hope that Allah the Exalted guides all the ignorant in the world out of their ignorance and makes them turn back from their mistakes. I hope that Allah the Exalted will make the Iranian nation dearer and more powerful on a daily basis, that He will help them benefit from the comforts of life more than before and that He will render them happy and blissful.

I hope that God will improve their worldly and otherworldly conditions. I hope that the holy heart of the Imam of the Age will be satisfied with the people of Iran, that all our people, including this humble person, will benefit from the prayers of that great Imam.

I hope that the immaculate soul of our magnanimous Imam and the pure souls of martyrs will be satisfied and pleased with us.

Greeting be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings