The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has thanked and praised the Iranian people for their enthusiastic presence and massive show of support in this year's 11th February nationwide rallies and marches.
According to IRIB World Service, speaking on Monday in a meeting with thousands of people from East Azarbaijan Province, on the occasion of the anniversary of the uprising of the people of Tabriz on 18th February 1978, the Leader thanked the great Iranian nation for its massive participation and glorious presence in the 11th February rallies and marches, which marked the 35th anniversary of the victory of the grassroots movement of the Iranian people. He stressed that the Iranian people declared in the 11th February rallies that they will never yield to US coercion and blackmail – in response to earlier brazen, undiplomatic and insulting remarks by US officials.
The Leader said the message of the 11th February nationwide rallies can be easily understood from the slogans chanted by tens millions of Iranians on that day-- namely, the message of resistance, the message of unity, and solidarity of the Iranian people.
He went on to criticize those who are trying to paint an unrealistic picture of the United States, which doesn't correspond to realities. The Leader pointedly added: "Some are trying to portray the US regime as a caring government, a humanitarian government which likes the Iranian people, but these efforts will get nowhere, and no one really buys this anymore".
Ayatollah Khamenei went on to refer to the "bleak record" of the US regime, especially over the past 80 years, naming Washington's support for tyrants and dictators around the world, its initiation of bloody wars, its killing of innocent people around the world, its support for terrorists, its backing of state-sponsored terrorism, and worst of all its backing of the illegitimate and usurper Zionist entity, as some of the primary examples of "America's bleak and dreadful record" for the past 80 years.
The Leader also mentioned the US invasion and occupation of Iraq, the killing of tens of thousands of Iraqis, as well as the invasion of Afghanistan and the killing of innocent people in that country, in addition to the setting up of terrorist outfits such as Blackwater, which engages in criminal and murderous activities, and the US support for Takfiri militants, as other examples of "Washington's bleak record".
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the US history of hostility towards the Iranian nation. He said: "The Iranian nation has experienced US enmity and hostile actions from the August 1953 coup d'etat right through to the February 1979 Islamic Revolution; and from 1979 until present day. The Iranian people have first-hand experience of the treachery, meanness, sanctions, boycotts, and conspiracies of the United States. Most recently of course, the US president's shameful support for the seditionists and rioters of 2009, and very recently the US regime once again reaffirmed its support for them."
Elsewhere in his remarks he said there are plenty of signals and signs which tell us we shouldn't be optimistic about the United States, such as recent insulting anti-Iran comments by US Senators and other senior US government officials.
The Leader pointedly added: "The Iranian people gave a firm reply to the insulting comments by US officials in their rallies and marches on 11th February, and this was a slap in the face to the United States regime."
