Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution met today with a group of economic experts from private and public sectors of the country. At the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei stressed the need for increased efforts to realize the goals specified in the 20-Year Strategic Plan and added: "With the ineffective weapon of sanctions, the enemy is trying to bring the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic to their knees, but they will fail in this aggressive objective because of the economic jihad by our people and government officials. Being full of hope about the future, the Iranian nation will achieve the position it deserves." The Leader of the Islamic Revolution added: "One of the techniques that the enemies use in their psychological warfare in current conditions is to spread despair among the people, particularly the young generation of the country. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly inform the people about the amazing advances and capacities of the country."
His Eminence said that the camp of arrogance is trying to bring the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic to their knees through economic means, further adding that it is necessary to counter the enemy's plan through economic jihad.
"It is necessary to understand that economic jihad is in fact a purposeful move to counter the enemy's malevolent and hostile move."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the main goal of the sanctions is to cripple Iran's economy. He reiterated: "The nuclear issue is not the real reason behind these sanctions because they started imposing these sanctions 32 years ago when there was no mention of nuclear energy in the country."
Ayatollah Khamenei stressed the need to counter the sanctions in a clever way and added: "If the sanctions were effective and helpful for the enemies, they would have helped the arrogant powers to realize their goals in the early years of the Revolution."
He added that the sanctions are ineffective in the current situation because the Iranian nation and government officials have learnt how to deal with them.
His Eminence said that circumventing the sanctions and utilizing domestic capabilities were among the successful techniques used by the Iranian nation and government officials to render the sanctions ineffective. He added that the Islamic Republic will continue countering the sanctions in an effective way.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed the need for realizing the goals specified in the 20-Year Strategic Plan and added that at the end of the plan Iran should be the top country in the region in important and vital areas. "Our regional rivals are working hard, and achieving the goals specified in the strategic plan requires more speed, more wisdom and a more disciplined movement. In fact, it requires economic jihad."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that being the top country in the region is a genuine and fateful need. He added: "In the current regional and global conditions, any country that fails to achieve sufficient growth in economy, science and infrastructures will be oppressed in a merciless way. Therefore, it is necessary to realize the goals specified in the strategic plan through domestic strength and economic progress."
His Eminence urged government officials to combat economic corruption and reiterated: "Fighting economic corruption is very important and it is an essential principle."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution highlighted the role of production and added that production is the basis of economy.
Elsewhere in his statements, Ayatollah Khamenei said that it is necessary to regulate and control imports and reiterated: "In all conditions, it is necessary to take domestic production, especially agricultural products, into consideration. The justification that imports improve domestic competitiveness does not have a firm logical basis."
Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the growth in non-oil exports in recent years and added that non-oil exports should increase so much that Iran stops depending on oil revenues.
His Eminence described Iran's dependence on oil revenues as an economic problem and reiterated: "Freeing the economy of the country from oil revenues will prepare the ground for the power and progress of our nation and the Islamic Republic."