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 pure, untainted, Infallible Progeny, particularly the Remnant of God on earth.
I offer my greetings to the dear nation of Iran. These days are dedicated to the Basij. I wanted to speak about one or two points related to the Basij, which I had hoped to share in a meeting with members of the Basij, but I didn’t have that opportunity, unfortunately. I will now share these points with the dear nation of Iran. I will also discuss several points regarding some issues related to West Asia and to our own domestic matters.
The first point I want to raise about the Basij is the following. Why are the country's officials committed to commemorating these days every year in the name of the Basij, and why do they make honoring and admiring the Basij part of their agenda? What is the reason for this? The answer to this question is that the Basij must continue through successive generations. The Basij is a valuable national movement. The motivation behind the Basij is both a motivation for God and a motivation based on one’s conscience, stemming from a sense of honor and self-confidence. Today, praise God, there are Basij with these characteristics throughout the entire country. The fourth generation of the Basij — that is, these teenagers who have just come of age — are actively preparing to join in efforts and activities within the Basij framework, which I will explain more later. This is a great asset for the country, and it mustn’t be lost. This wealth must be preserved within the country and passed down from one generation to the next. If such a phenomenon existed in any country or in any part of the world, it would be considered to be very valuable, critically important, beneficial, and essential. This is especially true for a country like ours, which is openly standing firmly in the face of global, coercive aggressors — essentially international thugs — and has established a front known as the Resistance Front. Considering our country’s situation, our country needs the Basij more than any other country.
Enmities are numerous. Greed is rampant. The interference of [global] powers in other countries is extensive, so the element of Resistance must exist in the world to stand up to all these injustices, excesses, and insatiable demands. Today, this element — the element of Resistance that was founded and has grown in Iran — has developed and it exists. You can see how today in the streets of Western countries, in European nations, and even in the US itself, people are chanting slogans in support of the Resistance. They chant slogans in support of the Resistance in Gaza and Palestine. In other words, this immense, valuable thing that has grown and which began in Iran has now gradually spread across a vast portion of the world. This is necessary and must continue.
This blessed movement, this blessed Basij Movement — [this] Resistance Movement — must continue in its birthplace, which is Islamic Iran. It must be handed down from one generation to the next, move forward, and become stronger and more complete day by day, God willing.
So we must admire and revere the Basij every year more than the year before, and we must promote the Basij among the youth of our country — [that is,] the young people in the country who are ready to work for the country.
As long as the Basij is alive, the Resistance will remain alive. If the Basij is lively, energetic, and active, the phenomenon of resisting against the world's aggressors and oppressors will remain alive. It will grow and the world’s oppressed will feel they are being supported. They will feel that a force exists that will support and defend them, speak in their favor, and communicate what they have to say to the world. That is the first point.
The second point concerns the identity of the Basij. What does "Basij" mean? What is the Basij? This is a very important matter. The Basij has a formal and organizational appearance, which is part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This appearance has the characteristics of being both firm and service oriented. When they stand against the enemy, they’re truly powerful and crush the enemy. And when they stand before the people, they’re devoted to service. In the face of earthquakes, floods, natural disasters, and various other events, you see the Basij serving the people. This is the official appearance of the Basij, which is a part of the IRGC. It’s one of its forces.
However, behind this formal, outwardly visible appearance lies a vast, unfathomable realm that is very important for the country. Every individual or group within the country who is zealous, ready to serve, and highly motivated is part of the broader Basij community — which is the backing for the Basij’s formal, organizational appearance. Those who are active, hardworking, and highly motivated to work in various fields — including in the sciences, in industry, for the economy, in universities, in seminaries, in business environments, in production sectors, or anywhere else — anyone working with motivation, faith, determination, and hope is essentially a part of this large, vast Basij organization. By the grace of God, the entire country benefits from their existence. Such a collective, which praise God exists today and must continue, can stand against the enemy's plots. They can thwart the enemy’s plots with their jihadi efforts, whether it’s in military matters, in economic issues, in production, in producing science, in technological advancements, or in other similar areas.
The scientists who attained martyrdom in the 12-Day War were all members of the Basij. In effect, they were carrying out the work of the Basij. While they may not have been officially registered members of the Basij organization, they were truly part of the Basij community, and they must be remembered as pure, valuable Basiji. The builders of military tools are Basiji. The one who designs missiles or other military tools, the one who builds them, the one who launches them, and the one who is involved in the numerous services that support them are all Basiji. Even if they’re not formal members of the Basij organization, they are Basiji in the truest sense of the word. The one who possesses firm logic, eloquent expression, and an articulate voice and who stands up and answers and clarifies the doubts, rumors, and incitements of the enemy is a Basiji.
The selfless doctor or nurse who doesn’t abandon the hospital during wartime and attends to the injured is a Basiji. The athletic champion who expresses their devotion to God, their religion, their nation, and their country on international fields and before the eyes of millions is a Basiji. In fact, the term Basij in the broadest sense of the word encompasses all these people. The universal Basij that Imam [Khomeini (ra)] sought is precisely this kind of Basij, and he himself was proud to be counted as one of the Basiji [Sahifeh-ye Imam, 21: 194].
The Basij never belonged to a specific group, and it isn’t specific to a certain group now either. All ethnicities, all kinds of people, all professions, and all parts of society in the country are part of this Basij. The conclusion I draw from this is that to enhance national power, we must cherish the Basij, strengthen it, and pass it on to future generations so that everyone can benefit from its blessings. My recommendation to government organizations has always been to work in a Basiji manner and to carry out their tasks and duties with a Basiji spirit. They must work like the Basij in the true sense of the word. This means taking action based in faith, motivation, determination, and zeal. This concludes my remarks about the Basij.
But as for the regional developments that you hear and see part of their news every day on television, I would like to speak about two or three points.
The first point is that in the 12-Day War, the Iranian nation undeniably defeated both the US and the Zionists. They came and perpetrated malicious acts, took a beating, and left empty-handed. This was a defeat in the truest sense of the word. Yes, they perpetrated malicious acts, but they left empty-handed. That is, they didn’t achieve any of their objectives. According to some accounts, the Zionist regime had been planning and preparing for this war for 20 years. That's what some people have said. There was 20 years of planning to start a war in Iran and to incite the people so they would join them and fight the system. This is what they had planned. But they left empty-handed, the situation turned against them, and they failed. Even those who had differences of opinion with the system stood by its side. A general sense of unity emerged in the country, which must be cherished and preserved.
Yes, we suffered losses. We lost precious lives; there’s no doubt about that. That’s the nature of war. A noble verse of the Quran [states], "They kill and are killed" (9:111). That’s the nature of war. However, the Islamic Republic showed that it’s a center of determination and power. It’s capable of making decisions and standing firmly without fearing the ruckus and commotion caused by others. The material losses inflicted on the enemy [in the 12-Day War] were far greater than the material damage inflicted on our country. Of course, we also suffered losses, but the side that attacked first suffered more losses than we did.
The second point is that in this 12-Day War, the US suffered heavy losses, truly heavy losses. It deployed its latest and most advanced offensive and defensive weapons; it used its submarines, its fighter jets, and its most sophisticated air-defense systems. Yet it could not achieve what it wanted. It wanted to deceive the Iranian nation, to pull the Iranian nation behind itself, but the result was the opposite. As I said, the Iranian people became even more united in the face of the US and were able, in the truest sense of the word, to thwart its aims.
Regarding the tragedy in Gaza, which is now one of the most significant tragedies in the history of our region, the Zionist regime has been severely disgraced and discredited. And the US stands beside that usurping, oppressive regime in its infamy and disgrace. It has been disgraced too, and it has suffered severe losses. People around the world know that if the US hadn’t been involved, the Zionist regime wouldn’t have been capable of committing such extensive atrocities in Gaza. The most despised person in the world today is the head of the Zionist regime. He’s the most despised human being in the world today, and the most detested ruling organization and gang in the world is the Zionist regime. The US is like it in this respect, and the way it’s detested has definitely spread to include the US as well.
The US’s interference in various parts of the world is one of the factors that’s causing it to become more isolated in the world day by day. While the leaders of some countries may flatter it, the US is becoming more detested by nations with each passing day due to its interference. Wherever it has interfered, it’s resulted in warmongering, genocide, or destruction and displacement. These are the results of the US’s involvement. It was the US that instigated the costly war in Ukraine, but it failed to achieve its goals. The current US president claimed he would solve the issue in three days. Now about a year later, he is trying to forcibly impose a 28-point plan on the same country that he himself dragged into war. The Zionist regime’s attacks on Lebanon, its aggressions against Syria, and its crimes in the West Bank and Gaza — where the entire world is witnessing the situation in Gaza — are all carried out with the US’s backing. And due to these actions, the United States has truly suffered a loss and become despised.
Now of course, they fabricate rumors that Iran, through such-and-such country, has sent messages to America. A complete lie; such a thing definitely did not happen. Americans even betray their own friends, that is, those who count themselves as America’s allies are also betrayed. They support the criminal Zionist gang ruling over Palestine. For the sake of oil and underground resources, they are ready to ignite war anywhere in the world, and today this war-mongering has reached Latin America as well. [So,] such a government is certainly not worthy for a republic, a government like the Islamic Republic, to seek relations or cooperation with.
And now, I would like to offer a few words of advice to my own children — the dear nation of Iran.
Stand united against the enemy. Differences exist between various social groups and political factions. Differences do exist, and that’s fine. But when facing the enemy, we must all stand together just as we did during the 12-Day War. This is a crucial factor for protecting the national authority of our beloved country.
My next recommendation is that we should support the honorable President [Masoud Pezeshkian] and the service-oriented administration. They have started good work, and they’re continuing some of the projects that Martyr Raisi had begun but were left unfinished. These efforts are taking place, and God willing, the people will see the results of these efforts in the future. The government must be supported, and a heavy burden rests on its shoulders. Managing the country isn’t an easy task. It’s difficult, and this responsibility rests on the government's shoulders.
My next recommendation is that we must all avoid wastefulness — wastefulness in our use of water, bread, gas, gasoline, food, and daily provisions. Wastefulness must be avoided, because one of the most significant dangers and detriments to the country and to families is wastefulness in these areas. And if there is no waste — in fact, if these necessities of life and these essentials that are needed in life aren’t thrown away and this stops — then without a doubt the situation of the country will be much better than it is now.
And my final recommendation is to strengthen your connection with God. Pray to Almighty God for rain, for security, for well-being, for everything. Speak to God, and ask from Him. Turn to God in humility. God willing, Almighty God will provide the means for the rectification of all matters.
May God’s greetings, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
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