In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds, and may peace and greetings be upon our Master and our Prophet, Abul-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his untainted, pure, chosen Progeny, particularly the Remnant of God on earth.
Welcome dear brothers and sisters. The topics raised by the brothers and sisters were very good. Some of them were related to this group pertaining to war memories and the Sacred Defense matters, which those esteemed individuals should follow up on. Some issues are related to government agencies. The brothers in my office should follow up on the points that have been mentioned, so that these matters can be investigated. That which is practical and useful will, God willing, be carried out.
The reason veterans are especially honored during Sacred Defense Week is due to the value of being a veteran and a pioneer in significant events, “Take the lead toward forgiveness from your Lord” (Quran 57:21). Taking the lead and stepping into uncharted territories is valuable. Of course, Sacred Defense Week belongs to all the fighters, Mujahideen, martyrs, their families, and such people. However, the veterans and those who entered the field earlier, quicker, and with greater commitment have a higher value.
Whether a veteran is a commander, an ordinary soldier, a doctor, a rescue worker, a jihadi worker, or someone who is supporting [in the rear], all of these people are deserving of this special type of praise and respect. We saw various types of these veterans during the early days of the Sacred Defense, and we saw the role they played and their contributions.
Good topics for us to discuss for our audience today regarding the Sacred Defense primarily revolve around two issues. Of course, there is a third issue as well, but I won't have time to talk about that today. One of these two fundamental topics is the reason for the eight-year war.
Our younger generation who weren’t around at the time of the war or the Revolution need to know why the Islamic Republic entered into a battle that lasted eight years. Eight years isn’t a short period of time. During that time, all of the country’s resources and facilities were dedicated to defending the country. What was the reason for our entry into the war? We need to know this. I will share a few words about this with you today.
The second topic that must be brought to the attention of today's audience is a report-like account of the war, a report of the war. I will share a few words with you today about reporting as well. Of course, as we are speaking, you dear attendees who are present in this meeting along with the large audience listening from a distance are the current audience listening to these words. However, you aren’t the only audience. The younger generation, the younger generation of the future, your children — they all need to think, work, and learn about these things.
These are the two topics that I will discuss briefly. There is also a third important topic that I won’t have time to talk about today, and that is the benefits and results that have come to us from this Sacred Defense. Fortunately, some of those who have spoken here today have alluded to this topic.
Let’s first consider the question, “Why did this war start?” The reason behind the attack on Iran's borders wasn’t limited to Saddam and the Ba'ath Party. Perhaps it could be said that the reason the leaders of the global order at that time attacked Iran's borders was much greater or at least equal to Saddam’s motive. In other words, there were two major powers in the world at that time, each with allies of their own. Those two powers were the United States and the former Soviet Union, and each had a number of allies consisting of governments and political systems. Almost all of them had some incentive in this matter.
The Islamic Republic, Islamic Iran, was something unbearable for them. Why? The question is this, “Why was Islamic Iran unbearable for them?” We hadn’t taken any measures against anyone back then. At this time, they tell us, “You supplied missiles to such-and-such place,” or “You gave drones to such-and-such place.” But back then there were no such allegations. So what was the underlying reason for their enmity? This is the main point.
The reason was that at this critical point in the world, an unprecedented popular Revolution had taken place, which presented a new way of thinking for managing the world. The prevailing order of that day couldn’t tolerate this new way of thinking. That was the issue. Back then, the world was one of domination. Of course, it still is today. But at that time, there was no voice, no outcry, no explicit stance taken against this unjust order that destroys virtues. The world order was one of domination.
What does imperialism mean? It means the world is divided into two parts. Some countries are dominators, others are dominated. There is no third option. The Islamic Republic, the Islamic Revolution, and the Islamic system was a clear outcry against this system, “What is the meaning of this? Why should there be domination? Why should a certain country have the right to impose its opinions, culture, and desires on a group of other countries solely due to its advanced military capabilities? Why?!”
The Islamic Republic had something new to say regarding this invalid order. The oppressors and dominators around the world couldn’t bear it. They understood that this message and ideology had the potential to spread throughout the world. They understood this correctly, and it did spread. This ideology spread and appealed to nations. Later, I will elaborate on the appeal of this movement.
All of these countries — the US, the Soviet Union, the NATO countries that were America’s allies, and the Warsaw Pact countries that were allies of the Soviet Union — were waiting for an opportunity. Saddam provided them with that opportunity. He was a craving, power-hungry, greedy, arrogant, impudent, cruel, reckless person, who was sitting behind Iran's borders. They provoked him and he attacked our country.
Today, some people within the country criticize the Islamic Republic. They say that the Islamic Republic is at odds or in conflict with the rest of the world. That isn’t true. That’s not how it is.
If what is meant is that we aren’t engaged in political or economic activities with the world or that we don’t interact or meet with them, then that is certainly not true. Today, we work with entities or countries in which more than half of the world's population lives. We meet, interact, and do business with them. The misleading ruckus that we sometimes hear from some individuals who claim we are at odds with everyone and that we are in conflict with everyone isn’t true. No, we aren’t at odds with everyone. We aren’t in conflict with everyone. If that's their intended meaning, it's incorrect. If they mean that we oppose the political order of imperialism, then yes, that’s true. Today, just like at the beginning of the Revolution, we oppose imperialism. We oppose US dominance.
Today, the Soviet Union no longer exists, but the US stands at the front of Western, domineering countries. We see the results of their actions — the wars that are started, the injustices that occur, the discrimination that takes place, and the nations that are put under pressure. We are opposed to these things, and we express our opposition clearly.
This is a situation that existed that day, and it still exists today. However, it incited the attack on Iran's borders at that time. And today, thanks to the steadfastness of the Iranian people and their powerful presence in various arenas, the enemies no longer have the audacity to attack our borders. Instead, they show their treachery, enmity, and hostility in other ways.
Of course, when I mentioned that no one opposed that order, there were years before the [formation of] the Islamic Republic, when the Non-Aligned Movement existed. We also joined that movement at the beginning of the Revolution, and it still exists to this day. However, many of the countries that were members of the Non-Aligned Movement — a hundred or so — had leaders who were influenced by those superpowers!
Some were under the influence of the United States, while others were under the influence of the Soviet Union. Some were under their influence, while others obeyed due to their fear. They were afraid of the brutality of those great powers. At one of the Non-Aligned summits, after I had given a speech there, a president of one of the regions in the world told me that everyone is afraid of the United States except you. Then he brought his head closer to me and said, “I’m also afraid of the United States!” They were afraid.
So the voice that was clearly raised against the flawed global order was that of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic, and it was centered in Islamic Iran, where they opposed. They opposed it back then, and they still oppose it today. That's the point. We need to understand this deeply. Some people don’t comprehend this. It isn’t our nuclear energy, human rights, or women's rights that they have a problem with. These are merely pretexts. Their problem is us bringing forth a new discourse in response to the invalid, corrupt, discriminatory global order that prevails in the world today. That is their problem. They are against this. They oppose this. And this opposition will not be resolved unless the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation give in to their unreasonable demands, which is something that won’t happen.
I mentioned the Islamic Republic’s appeal. This has had a profound impact. It has terrified them. The Islamic Republic has had and continues to have two kinds of appeal, and these must be protected. These draw nations to it. The first is its political appeal, and the other is its spiritual appeal. Its political appeal is due to it standing up firmly against the flawed global order. This has political appeal. Unlike the world powers and governments, people tend to lean toward this kind of political appeal.
This understanding that there is a system in the world that opposes that unjust global order, which involves the aggression and intervention of powerful nations, attracts their hearts. You see, whenever our presidents travel to any of the Islamic countries, those nations welcome them, pay attention to them, and express their respect. It is because of this [political appeal]. There is much to be said on this topic. This was about the political appeal.
And the spiritual appeal stems from this attention to divine faith and religious faith within the Islamic system. It has a strong allure, and it is very appealing. In this materialistic world, the youth in these so-called advanced, civilized countries feel a sense of emptiness. Today, even their own scientists and intellectuals are expressing this. They feel an emptiness, they feel useless, and the rate of suicides is increasing day by day. Religious faith provides them with a sense of having a place of refuge. It comforts them. This is the nature of a religious feeling. This too is something appealing in the Islamic Republic.
So, these were the underlying factors that contributed to the emergence of this military attack and military aggression against our borders, which led to the 8-year Sacred Defense war. They opposed it [our country]. The Islamic Republic’s appeal frightened them, and its new discourse agitated them. This is why they launched their attack. They kept the country preoccupied for eight long years. That is the first point. Of course, there is much to discuss regarding this matter. It is important for intellectuals and writers to speak, write, work, and provide clarification on this matter.
Now let’s look at the second point, reporting on the events of the war. There are two kinds of reports that can be given about a war. One report, which I call a “descriptive report,” is a kind of report that describes the form of the war. How did the war start? Why did it continue? How did it end? What was the situation on both sides? This is one kind of report — a descriptive report.
There's another kind of report that I think is more important. It’s an explanatory report. It clarifies and explains the true meaning of the war and the spirit of the battlefield. Today’s youth need to be informed about both areas, and work needs to be done. I will just discuss this briefly and state the main points. These topics must be worked on. Of course, thank God, some good work has already been done in this regard. This must continue.
But the descriptive report of the war is this that there was an invading army that attacked our borders. On one side, there was the aggressor who was fully equipped and had a plan that they had prepared from before. The one who had the intention to attack our borders had planned beforehand, unlike us who were attacked and caught off guard. We had no plan, especially at the beginning of the Revolution. They entered the field with a plan, well-equipped, and with a systematic structure. Their plan had been prepared from before, they received continuous support, and they had a strong engineering organization, solid communications, and the latest weapons.
Back then, Saddam’s army had the best tanks and airplanes at its disposal. They had unlimited money — billions at their disposal. Those [countries] that you know would provide it. The United States, the Soviet Union, and Europe were fully supportive, and they provided everything needed. They would replace any outdated weapons. The French government gave Saddam its best aircraft and fighters. The German government provided him with the chemical materials he needed. The US government continuously provided him with intelligence about the battlefield, and neighboring countries provided financial support and resources.
This part of the Persian Gulf was a route through which trucks and trailers carrying weapons, equipment, and supplies were constantly moving toward Iraq. One side was like this. The invader was in such a situation. I read in a report that the number of Saddam's fighter jets after the war was greater than the number he had at the beginning of the war! Even though many of his planes had been shot down, the total number of aircraft he had after the war was higher. That is, he was continuously receiving aid and supplies. This was the situation of the side that was the invader.
[On the other hand,] the situation was the exact opposite on the side being attacked, which was us. Our equipment was inadequate, our hands were empty, and our equipment couldn’t be replaced. At the beginning of the war, some of the tanks of the 92nd Division that were facing the enemy were looted and taken, and nothing was replaced. I went to Ahvaz, where one brigade of the 92nd Division had about 15 or 16 tanks. But logistically it should have had more than 50 tanks! That’s how it was. Nothing was replaced. Whatever we lost was gone, finished!
Our combat organizations had changed. The organization of the army was not prepared for a war. Many of the high-ranking commanders were unfamiliar with the army's resources. The late martyrs Fallahi and Zahirnejad — who were the heads of the army — were unaware of many things within the military. The reason for this was that the extent of their management was very limited before the Revolution. But now, they were at the head of the army.
The IRGC had not yet been properly organized. At the beginning of the war, the brigades of the IRGC weren’t properly organized. Battalions were formed with 200 or 300 men, and they had limited resources. Sometimes, they didn't even have individual weapons. We had seen cases where weapons weren’t enough for all to have one! This was what it was like for the side that was being attacked.
So, what was the expected result? According to normal standards and ordinary material calculations, it was thought that the opposing side, as it had been predicted, would pass through Khuzestan in a week or at most a few weeks and enter the heart of the country. Then it would advance toward Tehran. [But] that didn’t happen.
After about a year from the start of the war, this same weak force began to demonstrate remarkable victories and brilliance. It inflicted successive devastating blows on that well-equipped, wealthy army that enjoyed all forms of support. After eight years, it ultimately forced that army to retreat from the borders in disgrace. This is a description and summary of the eight-year war. Now, as to what the main factors were in this achievement and victory, this is something you already know: faith, struggle on the path of God, and other such factors.
However, I believe the subsequent report which is explanatory report is more important. In an explanatory report, we say that this war wasn’t just to defend our homeland. Of course, defending one's homeland is a noble cause and there is no doubt about that, but the goal of this war was far higher than this. It was a defense of Islam and acting upon the commands of the Quran. This war was a path that is referred to as “jihad on the path of God” in religious terms and literature. The Sacred Defense was jihad on the path of God.
The Sacred Defense kept the Revolution and Islam alive. It honored the Iranian nation, promoted spirituality in the country, and revived the true human spirit and faith in the youth. The young people who went to the battlefield were transformed from ordinary people into God’s pious servants. Men who entered the battlefield with a simple, ordinary outlook toward religious matters emerged as divine, spiritual mystics.
Our magnanimous Imam [Khomeini] was a great mystic and an outstanding individual. He once addressed many religious scholars as a whole and said, “You have spent 70 years in worship. May God accept this from you. Now spend some time reading the wills of the martyrs!” He meant that the young men who entered the battlefield, participated in jihad, and sacrificed their lives for God had traversed the 70-year spiritual journey of a knowledgeable, devout religious scholar in a short time. This is what Imam Khomeini’s statement means.
This is the truth behind the war. The goal was Islam, so the entire battlefield was a place of worship. All types of people were involved in this idea of “turning the battlefield into a place of worship.” I once went to inspect a battlefield in the middle of the night. I saw an army officer or a high-ranking army officer standing next to a battle tank performing the night [Tahajjud] prayer there! I witnessed the night prayers of an army official next to a battle tank; the spirited, fervent, gatherings of tawassul [making entreaty to someone or something which has a high position before God in order to get near to God] of the IRGC and the young Basij in their bases or wherever they were stationed; and the pleas of an army officer who wanted to join the nighttime operations of Martyr Chamran’s jihadi groups.
In the early days [of the war], we had just arrived in Ahvaz when an officer approached me. He was a lieutenant colonel or a major, I don't remember exactly. He said he had a request. At first, I thought he wanted to ask for a leave of absence due to some problem back in his hometown for which he had not been given permission. That was my first impression, but then he said that his request was to be allowed to join the group that, as he put it, hunted for tanks at night with Martyr Chamran.
We are talking about a man in his forties or fifties begging to be allowed to go out at night with the young people who accompanied Chamran armed with RPGs to attack battle tanks, for example. Now, put this example next to a teenager who alters his age on his birth certificate so that he can go to the frontlines, or he cries and begs his parents to allow him to go to the front. We had these things.
Humble prayers, crying in the middle of the night, selfless acts of service, or a commander who wakes up in the middle of the night to polish the boots of his soldiers and wash their clothes. These things don’t exist in any other army or battlefield in the world. These acts are unique to the Islamic Republic. In the last moments of life, some would refuse to drink water to ensure that their thirsty comrades wouldn’t pass away in a state of thirst. A soldier’s water would be passed on to his friend and he would die in a state of thirst himself. These things that we have read in history, we either witnessed them firsthand ourselves during the war or heard about them from those who had witnessed them.
Under enemy bombardment, a young man [who was later martyred] would write his final will in which he emphasized the importance of observing the Hijab. This shows the extent of their spirituality, religious commitment, and commitment to Islamic laws and faith. In my opinion, this account of the war and such a look at the war is more important than the descriptive report.
This is a place where Almighty God demonstrates His power in the victory of His righteous servants. This is a place where it becomes clear what God's will for His righteous servants is, "Indeed, the earth belongs to Allah. He gives it as a heritage to whom He wills amongst His worshippers" (Quran 7:128). God's righteous servants receive divine support. They endure hardships, as the people of Iran endured great hardships during the 8-year (Sacred) Defense. The youth, families, fathers, mothers, and spouses suffered greatly. But following these hardships, Almighty God granted them honor, victory, and assistance.
Well, both types of accounts need to be recorded and documented. Those who know about, have seen, or are informed about these events should talk about them. Others should turn these reports into interesting products, which has already been done to some extent. Last year, I mentioned that the work that has already been done needs to be increased a hundred times. That’s true. We have not worked enough in these areas. If we had had more resources for spreading information during the Revolution and the war, the country's progress would have been much greater. We had limited resources for propagation. On the other hand, the enemy had unlimited resources for propagation. Even today, the situation is somewhat the same. Today, we must do everything we can to increase our resources in this field. So that was regarding the Sacred Defense.
Today, a similar event is unfolding in Lebanon and Palestine. These events in Lebanon and Palestine are similar to our Imposed War and Sacred Defense. This too is jihad on the path of God. An Islamic country, Palestine, has been usurped by the most malicious unbelievers in the world. The definite religious ruling is that it is obligatory for everyone to work and help to return Palestine and the Al-Aqsa Mosque to the Muslims and their rightful owners.
A divine movement is taking place here. The people of Palestine and Gaza are fighting on the path of God. They are truly taking part in jihad on the path of God. Those who help them are helping jihad on the path of God. Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which is standing up for Gaza and putting itself in the middle of these bitter events, is taking part in jihad on the path of God.
In this battle, the unbelieving, evil enemy is equipped with the best resources, and the US is behind them. The US claims that they aren’t involved and are unaware of matters. This is false. They are both aware and involved, and they need the Zionist regime to be victorious. Because of the upcoming elections, the current US administration needs to demonstrate that it has supported the Zionist regime and helped it achieve victory. But they also need the votes of Muslims, so they pretend they’re not involved. [But] in fact they are involved.
The enemy has money, weapons, resources, and a global propaganda system. The opposing side, which is the believers and the Mujahideen who fight on the path of God, don’t have even a hundredth of those resources. But at the same time, the one who is the victor is the one who fights on the path of God. The Palestinian Resistance is the victor. Hezbollah is the victor. Up until today, Hezbollah and the Resistance Forces have been the victors. And the proof for this is that [the Zionist regime] has resorted to killing civilians.
If the malicious Zionist regime had been able to overcome the fighters, either in Gaza, or the West Bank, or in Lebanon, if it had been able to defeat the fighters, it wouldn’t have been forced to reveal its dark, hideous face to the world. It wouldn’t have needed to carry out these crimes against homes, schools, hospitals, children, infants, and women. It hasn’t been successful. Since it hasn’t been able to overcome the Resistance forces, it has no choice but to pretend to be victorious by targeting women, children, defenseless civilians, vehicles on roads, schools, and hospitals. So they have failed so far.
Yes, they are inflicting damage. They have martyred a number of Hezbollah’s influential, valuable members. Undoubtedly, this was a loss for Hezbollah. Nevertheless, this is not a loss that will bring Hezbollah to its knees. Hezbollah’s organizational strength and its powerful human resources are much greater than this. Their power, capabilities, and resilience far exceed any serious harm inflicted by these martyrdoms. Yes, of course, losing even one person, especially a commander with a history of fighting on the path of God, is a loss. There is no doubt about that. But up until today, they [the Resistance] have been victorious, and by God’s grace, power, and strength, the Resistance Front and the Hezbollah Front will be the ultimate victors in this battle.
The final point that I would like to address today is that our soldiers, our fighters, and our Mujahideen sacrificed their lives so that the enemy's flag wouldn’t be raised within our borders. They sacrificed themselves. Our brave, devoted young fighters left their families in mourning in order to prevent the enemy's flag from being raised in this country. The Iranian nation won’t tolerate the raising of those same flags by infiltrators or those who are misled within the country!
Those flags, which are the flags of cultural infiltration, the lifestyle of the enemy, and the hostile temptations of the enemy, must not be raised in our country or in our various institutions! We must be vigilant, and this is everyone’s duty. The Ministry of Education must be vigilant, the state media and the press must be vigilant, and the Ministries of Science and Health, which are responsible for educating our youth, must be vigilant. At that time [during the Iran-Iraq war], the enemy was defeated by our soldiers. We must not allow the defeated enemy to continue its activities in the country using various forms of deception and schemes.
I hope Almighty God will keep all our officials, all our men and women, and all those active in various sectors fully alert in the face of the enemy's conspiracies.
May God’s greetings, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
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