Ayatollah Khamenei: Days of foreign domination that enemies seek are gone forever

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei says the days of foreign domination that Iran’s enemies seek to bring back are over and will never return.

The Leader made the remark in a message on Monday on the occasion of the Sacred Defense Week, which marks the start of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's 1980-88 war on the country, and the second anniversary of the assassination of late Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that in those days, two seas in southern Iran were once like a "playground" for enemy forces, but they no longer venture beyond the Arabian Sea given the painful blows they have received from brave Iranian fighters and the defenders of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Leader added that whenever they took the risk of doing so, they suffered damage themselves, emphasizing that it will not be long before the Arabian Sea, too, is cleared of their presence.

Iran's growing strength

During the Sacred Defense days, “the warm rays of the Revolution’s sun shining across Iran spread a pleasant sense of national solidarity and loyalty to the school and path of revolutionary Islam,” which began to melt the “ice of old and new forms of domination and colonialism.”

“But the days before that were dark days,” he said, saying that ambassadors of the arrogant powers would convey their orders to the Iranian monarch, who would implement them willingly or unwillingly.

The 1979 Islamic Revolution overturned that order, he highlighted.

“This was extremely difficult for the powers that sought domination and had set their sights on the wealth of this land, and which for years had committed various injustices against its people in an effort to make those resources their own,” added Ayatollah Khamenei.

Hence, the enemies “devoted all their efforts to turning the powerful current of the revolutionary nation back toward its previous course,” and the war launched by Saddam Hussein was their “most important action” during the first decade of the life of the Islamic Republic.

The Baathist regime had this “illusion that it would be a war of only a few days and would bring an easy victory”; however, Iran “rose like a phoenix, more mature and stronger than before.”

The Leader noted that at the beginning of the war, Iran had “inherited empty hands” of the Western-backed monarch and possessed little to defend the country against threats.

“But thanks to upholding the truth and divine assistance, we have now reached days when the aggressors themselves, rather than their proxies, seek shelter from the attacks of the Islamic military forces and plead for an end to the war,” he said.

Ayatollah Khamenei noted that enemies wish to “return our country were days of backwardness, humiliation and degradation, dependence, and Iran’s disrepute in the Islamic world.”

“The days we are living through now, however, are filled with progress, dignity, independence and the highest level of prestige in the Islamic world and, indeed, throughout the world,” he added.

Iran a superpower 

“Today, some regard us as the fourth superpower in the world,” he said, adding that “of course, they say this based on worldly calculations.”

“However, based on divine calculations, a country that considers itself belonging to the Pure Household of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon them, whose people are predominantly devoted to those exalted figures and who have no fear in upholding the truth is regarded as the first power in the world,” he added.

Referring to the British- and US-orchestrated coup of 1953, Ayatollah Khamenei added that long has passed the era when colonial powers can launch psychological operations, create an atmosphere of terror, and plunder the country’s wealth.

“These days, for seven months, our compatriots across the country have adorned the squares and streets with their responsible and enthusiastic presence, so that the hearts of the Islamic forces may be strengthened,” he said, referring to nightly gatherings held across Iran since the start of US-Israeli aggression on February 28.

He further pointed to widespread public support for the Islamic Republic, saying more than 30 million Iranians had declared their readiness for self-sacrifice, while more than 500,000 people filled the requested capacity within the first 100 minutes of a subsequent mobilization.

“At present, throughout Islamic Iran, which is adorned by the presence of Iranians from diverse ethnic groups, there are various declarations of readiness, particularly armed readiness, to create an arena that will bring honor to them and disgrace to their enemy,” he added.

He said Iranian women were now taking the lead over men in some areas of courageous participation and that diverse social groups continued to defend their rightful positions, including the preservation of the Strait of Hormuz.

'Glorious' days ahead of Iran

This comparison between the past and present can be expanded, he said, adding, “But in a word, I declare, as a servant of the dear people of Iran, that those former days to which our enemy wishes to return have passed and will never be repeated.”

He also paid tribute to Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution, and Martyr Ayatollah Khamenei, noting that the “country’s present dignity owes much to their leadership.”

Thanks to their legacy, he maintained, “the days ahead will be far more glorious than these present days.”

“For that phoenix which rose from the ashes of the first imposed war has now, as a result of the enemy’s pressure and particularly the two most recent imposed wars, grown so large that the shadow of its flight has extended even over the lands of the enemy,” he added.

Nasrallah elevated Lebanon’s standing

In his message, the Leader paid tribute to the late Hezbollah chief on the second anniversary of his martyrdom, describing Nasrallah as a heroic Arab figure and a great symbol of the resistance front.

The Leader said Martyr Nasrallah was a sincere well-wisher of his people and his cause, whose heartfelt speeches, along with his courageous actions, have strengthened the hearts of the Lebanese people and freedom-seekers around the world.

Ayatollah Khamenei said Nasrallah had elevated the name and standing of Lebanon, that had for years been treated as the “backyard” of certain powers.

The Leader stated that victory and triumph had been Nasrallah’s constant companions, emphasizing that his “proud banner” is now in the hands of Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem, who is courageously continuing his path.

These days in Lebanon are “prominent and honorable days” for followers of the resistance and days of “humiliation and, ultimately, disgrace for those who have pinned their hopes on the false promises of the powers of domination and their ill-wishers in the face of the Zionist enemy.”

The Leader added that unlike Martyr Nasrallah, Sayyed Hashem Safieddine and the current resistance fighters, whose legacy would “continue to shine like bright stars”, those who had chosen the opposite course would soon be buried and forgotten in the first pages of history.

Ayatollah Khamenei warned that whenever these people are remembered in the future, they will be associated with bad intentions, poor judgment, and perhaps even betrayal.

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