In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

The best, most fitting time to commemorate the memory and names of our dear martyrs and to hear their message is during Sacred Defense Week.

The martyrs’ message is glad tidings for hearts that are ready and ears that listen. Their precious message reminds us that standing up to the Satans of power and oppression will ultimately end in victory and the elimination of fear and grief.

Their message gives us life, strength, and hope. The great nation of Iran and all the free people of the world have a need for their message today and forever.

May God’s greetings be upon our dear martyrs.

Sayyid Ali Khamenei

Sept. 22, 2022

On the eve of Sacred Defense Week, a number of veterans, commanders, those who fought in the Sacred Defense, and the families of martyrs met with the Leader of the Islamic Revolution this morning in the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah.

In the beginning of his statements, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated that the war against Iran was an “international war” during the Sacred Defense. He referred to the role of many foreign entities in this war and said, “At one time, we asserted that all of the world powers are fighting us. But now, those who said that this was just a claim on our part are admitting to this themselves.”

Imam Khamenei explained that the Imposed War on Iran was global imperialism’s natural reaction to the victory of the Islamic Revolution. He said that the purpose of the Imposed War was to prevent the message and new words of the Iranian nation from being passed on to other nations, messages such as standing firmly, not fearing the US, and resisting global oppression and discrimination.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution went on to add, “The Islamic Revolution of the Iranian nation was not just the defeat of a dependent, corrupt system and a temporary blow to the US and the Arrogant Powers. It was a threat to the domineering system of global imperialism. The Arrogant Powers of the West and the East understood the seriousness of this threat. Thus, they imposed a war on the Iranian nation by encouraging and inciting Saddam.”

The Leader said that the main goals of the vengeful Arrogant Powers in imposing this war on Iran were to divide Iran, separate Khuzestan from Iran as an important part of the country, bring the Iranian nation to its knees, overthrow the Islamic Republic, and take the fate of the Iranian nation in its own hands. He said that it is important not to forget these obvious facts.

In another part of his speech, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution spoke of the deterrence power of the Islamic Republic, “Today, the country’s military defense system has reached a position where it has the capability of deterring foreign threats. There is no need to fear foreign threats. The enemies are fully aware of this fact.”

Furthermore, the Leader explained that one of the achievements of the Sacred Defense was that it proved an important principle to the Iranian nation. He emphasized this point that, “During the Sacred Defense it was proven that safeguarding the country and deterring the enemies’ threats is only possible through resistance, not submission.”

With regard to this, the Leader reminded of the need to put into use the principle of resistance in various political, economic, and cultural matters. He called people’s attention to this point that, “This intelligent resistance showed the enemy that they must always take Iran’s internal strength into consideration in their calculations. Why? Because it is with this spirit that we have been able to defeat the enemy in many cases, such as their imposing maximum pressure, designing a project for a 'New Middle East', and transgressing our borders by air and sea.”

Once again, he also stressed the need for correct reporting. He explained, “The work that has been done in this field so far has been good. But all of these have been infrastructural so far. The results of this work must be seen.”

At the end of his statements, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution emphasized that responding to the false, distorted reports of the Holy Defense and the Islamic Revolution itself is something that is mandatory. He said, “The US and Zionists are busy in this field writing books and producing films. Intellectuals and artists need to work and take appropriate action to confront them.”

In the beginning of this meeting, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, presented a report describing the programs and activities that have been carried out with the goal of preserving and promoting the culture and values of the Sacred Defense.

In reviewing the situation in 1981 and the months leading up to June 28th of that year, Imam Khamenei spoke about the difficult situation that existed at that time due to the Imposed War and the advance of Saddam's forces to the close vicinity of several large cities in the west and in the south. He explained, “In addition to the very unfavorable situation due to the war, the Munafiqin had for all practical purposes started a civil war in Tehran. And the political situation was such that just a few days before June 28th, the Parliament had declared the political incompetence of the President based on their vote. So the country did not have a President. In such circumstances, a pillar like Martyr Beheshti was taken from the Revolution and the system."

In this regard, the Leader also referred to the martyrdom of the President and Prime Minister of the country, which took place two months after the 7th of Tir Tragedy (June 28), and also the martyrdom of a number of senior Army Commanders in a plane crash after that. He stressed the fact that, "The youth and the new generation are not aware of these events. They need to study these issues and think about them carefully. Which government and country do you know of that does not collapse due to such bitter, dire events?”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated, “In the face of all these events, Imam (Khomeini) stood firmly like Mount Damavand at the head. And the caring officials, the people and the revolutionary youth also stood up and were able to turn the situation of the country around one hundred and eighty degrees. This change was to such an extent that successive failures turned into a series of victories. The Munafiqin (MEK) were cleared from the streets, the Army and the Guard Corps became stronger, and the country returned to normal."

Imam Khamenei referred to the excitement of the enemy at times due to some weaknesses and internal shortcomings in the country. He added, "Both in the year 1981 and after that over the last four decades, the enemy has become excited and hopeful. They imagined the Revolution and the system were falling apart. But this hope of theirs has turned into frustration. Their problem is that they do not understand the secret behind their being frustrated." In analyzing this point, Imam Khamenei stated, "The enemy cannot understand that in this world, apart from political calculations, there are other calculations as well. These are the divine traditions."

The Leader referred to examples of divine traditions and laws in the Holy Qur'an with regard to the result of helping the religion of God and the outcome of not being thankful for God’s blessings, and he added, "The Holy Qur'an is full of themes that are related to the divine traditions. The conclusion that may be made from these is that if societies stand up to the enemies and carry out their duties while relying on God, the result is victory and progress. But if differences arise, people only pursue their own welfare and they show weakness, the result will be defeat." Emphasizing the need for a serious, scientific study of the divine traditions from a sociological point of view, Imam Khamenei summed up his speech on this topic as follows, “In the year 1981, the Iranian nation was able to frustrate the enemy by sticking to one of the divine traditions, namely jihad and resistance. Today, the same rule and law is in force, and God in the year 2022 is the same God He was in 1981. We must apply ourselves to be an example of the divine traditions so that the outcome will be progress and victory."

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution went on to say that the Judiciary Branch is an important, influential pillar throughout the country. He explained this as follows, “According to the verses of the Holy Qur’an, the duty of the Islamic government is to establish prayers. This means spreading a spirit of servitude in the Islamic Republic. Giving the zakat [Islamic poor tax] means establishing justice in the Islamic society. Enjoining good and forbidding evil means inviting people to values such as justice, fairness, brotherhood and forbidding oppression, corruption and discrimination. These have been emphasized in the Constitution and are a part of the duties of the Judiciary Branch. If these duties are not carried out using various facilities such as the facilities of the Judiciary and the court system, this is an example of wasting the divine blessings and will be a blow to ourselves."

Imam Khamenei said that the Head of the Judiciary Branch is a believer, revolutionary, hardworking, with the people, does not stand on ceremony, is familiar with the various aspects of the Judiciary, and is someone who listens to critics.” The Leader also made eight fundamental recommendations to the officials and staff of the Judiciary Branch.

In his first recommendation, Imam Khamenei considered the  Document on Fundamental Transformation, which was prepared during the period of the previous management, to be one of the most progressive documents for change. He emphasized, “This document should be acted upon, and a workforce and personnel should be created based on it.”

"Seriously fighting corruption" was Imam Khamenei's next recommendation to the officials of the Judiciary. He confirmed the words of the Head of the Judiciary that "fighting corruption within
the judiciary is a priority." He also stressed that, “The majority of judges are honorable, honest, decent, faithful and hardworking. But the few corrupt people who damage the work and reputation of others should be confronted. Of course, in the fight against corruption, the main task is to confront the foundations that bring corruption and to eliminate those.

In his next recommendation, he declared that the honorable, hard-working judges and staff should be encouraged.

Another of Imam Khamenei's recommendations to the officials in the Judiciary was "not to suspend any of the powers or legal duties of the Judiciary."

He cited crime prevention as being another example of the important duties of the Judiciary Branch and said, "For example, crimes such as land-grabbing and taking possession of parts of the mountains should be prevented by acting in accordance with the laws to determine land ownership in cities and villages."

In his sixth recommendation, the Leader of the Revolution emphasized "regulating the relations between the Judiciary and executive officers in the Judiciary." He explained, “The behavior of the officers should be monitored and supervised so that their behavior with the accused is not exaggerated or extremist. The Judiciary should not be under the influence of the officers. Rather, it should deal with issues independently. Of course, the expert opinions of the officers should not be ignored.”

In his next recommendation, Imam Khamenei referred to the responsibility of the Judiciary for the psychological security of the people. He stressed this point that, "Psychological security is one of the rights of the people. The Judiciary Branch must prevent the minds of the people from becoming worried and disturbed due to rumors, false claims and the frightening statements of specific or unknown individuals in both the media and the internet.”

In his eighth and final recommendation, the Leader of the Revolution spoke about opening various important cases in front of the public opinion, such as matters related to factories or illegal seizures. He emphasized, “The wounds that are created by cases that are opened in front of the public opinion should not be left open. Continue each file to the end and finalize it.”

At the end of his speech, he said that the work of the Judiciary is one of the most difficult tasks. He stated, “Of course, if you do this work for God and with divine guidance, it will bring abundant reward too.”

At the beginning of the meeting, Hujjat al-Islam wal-Muslimeen Mohseni-Ejei, Head of the Judiciary, presented a report on the performance of the Judiciary during this recent period. He emphasized more communication with different segments of the people, strengthening interactions with the other executive branches, striving to carry out the Document on Fundamental Transformation in the Judiciary, working to greatly increase the use of new technologies and artificial intelligence in judicial services, supporting production and removing barriers to it, making some judicial services free in deprived areas, seriously fighting corruption especially within the Judiciary itself, prioritizing cases that have many plaintiffs and which are important in the public opinion, and intensified monitoring of the correct execution of laws and regulations that are to be carried out, as well as continuous, ongoing follow-ups to improve the living conditions of employees and strengthening the budget base of the judiciary.

In this meeting, Imam Khamenei stated, “Expanding and deepening relations between Iran and Turkmenistan as much as possible is absolutely to the benefit of both countries, and it is the Islamic Republic of Iran’s policy to expand ties with neighboring countries.”

Imam Khamenei emphasized, “The expansion of friendly relations between Iran and Turkmenistan has opponents at regional and international levels, but obstacles must be overcome. The requisite to overcoming obstacles is Iran’s and Turkmenistan’s firm intention and determination to expand relations.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution affirmed that, “There needs to be some common commissions for collaboration, which are constantly active, between the two countries. With their persistent efforts, beneficial agreements can be reached and signed.”

In this meeting in which Mr. Raisi – Iran’s President - also participated, Mr. Serdar Berdimuhamedow stated, “The priority of Turkmenistan’s government is in expanding relations with neighboring countries. As may be seen by the collaboration documents which were signed today, we are trying to strengthen good relations between the two countries more than ever before in various areas, especially in gas, electricity, the transportation of goods, and also in putting into operation large-scale projects.”

Turkmenistan’s President remarked that this is the 30th  anniversary of relations between the two nations and stated that, “On behalf of myself and the Turkmenistan nation, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to your Excellency for your constant support of expanding and deepening relations between Iran and Turkmenistan.”

Imam Khamenei stressed that world events show the need for Iran and Russia to increase mutual cooperation on a daily basis, and added, “The numerous memorandums of understanding and contracts between the two countries, including in the oil and gas sectors, should be followed up and carried out to the end.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described economic cooperation between Iran and Russia, particularly following the sanctions imposed by the West, as essential and beneficial to both countries. Touching on developments in Ukraine, he said, “War is a hostile, harsh matter and the Islamic Republic never favors seeing ordinary people afflicted by wars. However, in the issue of Ukraine, had Russia not initiated taking action, the other side would have started a war.”

The Leader of the Revolution stressed that the West is opposed to the existence of a strong, independent Russia. He also described NATO as being a dangerous entity and added, “If the way is opened for NATO, it will recognize no limits. If it hadn’t been stopped in Ukraine, it would have later started a similar war in Crimea.”

Imam Khamenei explained, “Of course, today, the US and the West have become weaker than before. And despite expending great effort and money, the influence of their policies in our region – including in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine – has significantly declined.”

In describing the issue of Syria as being very important, Imam Khamenei stated that Iran’s stance is opposition to a military attack on Syria, and he said that such an action should be prevented. Furthermore, he stressed, “Another important issue in Syria is the usurping of fertile, oil-rich regions to the east of the Euphrates by the Americans. This should be solved by expelling them from the region.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution condemned the interference of the Zionist regime in regional issues, and he praised the recent stance taken by the President of Russia against the Zionists.

He also emphasized, “The Islamic Republic will not tolerate policies or plans that lead to the closing of the Iran-Armenia border.”

The Leader of the Revolution referred to long-term cooperation between Iran and Russia as being greatly, deeply beneficial to both countries. Addressing Mr. Putin, he said, “Both you and our President are people who take action and follow up on it.  Thus, cooperation between the two countries should reach a peak in this period.”

Expressing his agreement with the statements of the President of Russia regarding the necessity of launching a Rasht-Astara railway line, Imam Khamenei stated that this will help finish the North-South transit line and be to the advantage of both countries.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution highlighted the necessity of showing vigilance against the deception of the West and emphasized, “The Americans are both aggressive and deceitful. One of the factors leading to the collapse of the former Soviet Union was them being deceived by US policies. Of course, Russia has preserved its independence during your term.”

The Leader touched on the policy to replace [the dollar with] national currencies and use other currencies in place of the dollar, stating, “The dollar should be gradually removed from global transactions, and this is possible over time.”

Mr. Putin too spoke on the developments in Ukraine and said, “No one advocates war, and the death of ordinary people is a big tragedy. However, the actions of the West left us no other option than to respond.”

The President of Russia enumerated the causes and roots of the differences between Russia and Ukraine, in particular the provoking actions taken by the West and the US in recent years including launching a coup in Ukraine and also the policy of expanding NATO despite their previous promises to avoid any advance toward Russia. He also said, “Some European countries even said that they were opposed to the membership of Ukraine in NATO, but that they agreed to it under the pressure of the US. This is indicative of their lack of authority and independence.”

Vladimir Putin referred to the martyrdom of General Soleimani as being another example of America’s villainy.

Elsewhere in his statements, he referred to the sanctions imposed by the West against Russia and said, “These sanctions will work to the disadvantage of the West, and they will lead to problems such as an increase in the price of oil and a food crisis.”

He pointed out that the US takes advantage of the dollar as an instrument to loot other countries and impose sanctions on them. He stated that this will also be to their disadvantage as it will cause global trust in this currency to be undermined, and it will encourage other countries to use other currencies. Furthermore, he explained, “Russia and Iran are devising new methods to use their own national currencies in their relations.”

While expressing his agreement with the viewpoints of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution regarding the Caucasus, the President of Russia stated that the positions of both Iran and Russia on the issue of Syria, including opposition to any attack on northern Syria, are completely compatible with one another. He stressed, “The region to the east of the Euphrates must be under the control of Syrian military forces.”

Mr. Putin stated that cooperation between Iran and Russia is progressing in all areas, and he added, “Iran and Russia are fighting together against terrorism in Syria. In the area of the military too, we will try to increase the level of cooperation between the two countries and also increase trilateral cooperation and military maneuvers with China.”

Imam Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, referred to the deep historical and cultural ties between Iran and Kazakhstan during a meeting with the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev, and his accompanying delegation this evening (Sunday). He emphasized the need to expand cooperation between the two countries in various fields, particularly regional cooperation.

Imam Khamenei stressed that coordination in political and economic issues is necessary for the development of relations and underlined the need to start a joint commission, "The two sides must intensify their efforts to follow up on agreements and to implement them. "

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution also considered an increase in cultural cooperation between Iran and Kazakhstan to be important and added, "Farabi (Alpharabius), a Muslim philosopher and scholar with Kazakhstani origins whose works have been researched and studied in Iran for 1,000 years, can be considered a basis for cultural cooperation and the founding of a mutual scholarly committee between Iran and Kazakhstan."

Imam Khamenei also spoke about the issues of Ukraine and said, "Concerning the issue of Ukraine, the main problem is that the West is seeking to expand NATO wherever they can without taking anything into consideration."

The Leader added, "It is necessary to carefully monitor and examine matters and to be vigilant because the US and the West always seek to expand their influence in different regions, including in East and West Asia, as well as to strike a blow against countries’ independence and sovereignty."

This meeting was also attended by the President of Iran, Mr. Raisi. During the meeting, Mr. Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev, the President of Kazakhstan, stated, "We had very good talks with Mr. Raisi and the documents signed by both sides can pave the way for the further expansion of relations between the two countries."

The President of Kazakhstan emphasized that the historical and cultural commonalities between Iran and Kazakhstan had deep roots. Furthermore, he welcomed the proposal of the Leader for the establishment of a mutual scholarly committee on Farabi. He also expressed his views on regional issues and the situation in Ukraine, and he explained the situation in his country after the failed coup attempt in January of last year.