Leader hails massive turnout at Islamic Revolution anniversary

Rasa - Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has hailed the massive turnout in nationwide rallies to mark the 39th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution as a "miracle."

News ID: 436487

Date: 18 February 2018 - 23:41

RNA - Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks on Sunday in a meeting with thousands of people from the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan, in commemoration of the February 18, 1978 uprising in the provincial capital, Tabriz.

The unrest took place 40 days after the January 9, 1978 uprising in the holy city of Qom against despotic monarchical rulers of the time.

"The 22nd of the month of Bahman [on the Persian calendar] was actually different this year," Ayatollah Khamenei said referring to the February 11 rallies in different cities, where people renewed their allegiance to the Islamic establishment and Imam Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Republic.

"After 39 years, this massive popular movement looks like a miracle. It does not exist anywhere in the world that after four decades, people themselves come to the scene, fill the streets, chant slogans, show their presence and defend their revolution," he stated.

People have complaints about some issues, but when it comes to the revolution and the establishment, they come to the scene, the Leader noted.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the Iranian nation has achieved "revolutionary insight and political perfection" so that despite their grievances about some issues, they are committed to the essence of the establishment and revolution.

The Leader said the revolution has brought about many benefits for Iran, the most important of which is the transformation of the tyrannical system into a democratic system inspired by the Islamic teachings and the Holy Qur'an.

Modernizing defensive equipment a priority

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader focused on Iran's defensive program, noting that modernization of “all methods, tools and equipment” needed for the present and future of the country was a top priority.

“Without any hesitation, the country must move toward anything that it needs to defend [itself], even if the entire world is opposed to it.”

According to Press TV, Ayatollah Khamenei then took to task those enemies, which threaten humanity with their weapons, but oppose Iran's missile capability, saying, “How does this issue concern you? You don’t want the Iranian nation to have missile and other capabilities to defend itself to bully it.”

“Of course, we consider such issues as the nuclear bomb and [other forms of] weapons of mass destruction prohibited, but will forcefully follow up on anything else that we may need,” the Leader noted.

Domestic potentialities key to solving economic problems

The Leader mentioned reliance on the country’s domestic potentialities and people as the best way to solve the country’s economic problems.

“The Resistance Economy, as I have said time and again and all officials have also confirmed its policies, does not mean being limited to what exists in the country, but it is endogenous and outward-looking.”

The Leader noted that prosperity of domestic economy hinged on taking advantage of internal potential, capacities and assets of the country, adding that prosperity of domestic economy needed good exports, imports as needed, and attraction of foreign investment with domestic officials taking the lead.

Ayatollah Khamenei stated that trusting foreigners in the case of Iran's nuclear deal with the P5+1 group of countries, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), did not benefit the country.

“We trusted them in the case of nuclear negotiations, but it was of no use. Of course, fortunately, officials have dealt with this issue in a proper manner,” the Leader said, thanking Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for his powerful approach to wickedness of Americans and dawdling of Europeans in implementing the JCPOA.

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