Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution met this morning with the members and presiding board of the Assembly of Experts. Speaking at the meeting, His Eminence described Islamic Awakening among the regional nations as an extraordinary event and added that it has been inspired by the continued progress of the Islamic Republic of Iran.His Eminence thanked members of the Assembly of Experts, especially Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who withdrew his candidacy in a recent election within the Assembly of Experts. He added: "They expected discord among members of the Assembly of Experts. They were hoping that the competition for rendering services would be replaced with a negative competition for grabbing positions of power. But thanks to the sincerity of the members of the Assembly of Experts and their wise behavior, this issue turned into a source of blessing for Islam and the Islamic Republic."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to the behavior of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in this regard and added: "Considering the wisdom and sense of responsibility that I have always noticed in him, this behavior was what I expected."
Elsewhere in his speech, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution described the current conditions of the region as highly sensitive.
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to "presence of the people on the scene" and "Islamic slogans" as two crucial factors in the recent developments in the region. "Of course factors such as liberal and ethnic motives might have played a role as well."
His Eminence said that the policies and propaganda of the enemies of Islam and Iran are focused on preventing the Islamic Republic from becoming a role model. He added that this is indicative of the fact that Islam has played a crucial role in the regional developments. "Through different methods, especially magnifying the weaknesses and making direct and indirect efforts to spread lies, global bullies are trying to weaken and destroy the role model presented by the Islamic Republic to the nations of the region."
His Eminence said that domestic and international factors can play a role in weakening the Islamic Republic. He added that domestic factors are more effective than international factors in undermining the position of the Islamic Republic among other nations.