In a meeting with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his cabinet members, Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the sanctions imposed on Iran are doomed to failure, further stressing: "Considering global realities, it is not possible to continue these sanctions for a long time, and it is necessary to counteract these sanctions through economic jihad, reliance on God and purposeful and clever moves."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution reiterated: "The enemies were speaking about crippling and clever sanctions in the beginning of the year, but not only the sanctions failed to be crippling, but they resulted in dynamism, self-sufficiency and great accomplishments in many cases thanks to the prudence of the Islamic Republic and the people."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that economic jihad is necessary to counter the sworn enemies of Islam and the Revolution. He added: "The hegemons have utilized all their facilities in order to deal a powerful blow to Iran's economy, but the vigilance, cleverness and prudence of our government officials and the resistance of our people will disappoint them."
His Eminence thanked the Iranian people for their impressive turnout in Quds Day rallies and added: "This presence and greatness will inspire hope in the region and it will increase the motivation of the regional nations to resist."
Ayatollah Khamenei also expressed his gratitude for the services rendered by the administration and stressed that the administration should remain committed to its original slogans and orientation. "These attractive slogans were the reason why the people voted for the President in the elections of 1384 and 1388. This is because our people are committed to values and ideals."
His Eminence said that promoting justice, countering the arrogant powers, promoting simple lifestyles, countering aristocratic behavior and rendering sincere services are among the administration's most attractive slogans. He further stated: "The principles and values which were promoted by Imam Khomeini (r.a.) and which made him popular among nations are among the most important slogans of the administration and it is necessary to be absolutely committed to those slogans."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that making efforts for the sake of God is the secret behind attracting divine blessings and becoming popular among the people. He stressed: "If the administration's commitment to the slogans decreases for any reason, divine blessings will also decrease. Therefore, continue rendering non-stop and sincere services in an enthusiastic and dynamic way."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that one of the flaws of the administration is its failure to make the best of prominent figures of universities and Islamic seminaries. He stressed: "The President and his ministers should arrange meetings with our prominent figures and discuss different issues, particularly economic issues, which are pointed out by both supporters and opponents of the administration."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed that it is necessary to welcome criticisms made by prominent figures and added: "We must not deprive ourselves of constructive criticisms of the majority of our prominent figures because of the way these criticisms are expressed."
He advised the President and his cabinet members to point out both weaknesses and strengths. He said that admitting weaknesses increases credibility among the people. "Besides explaining your efforts and your strengths, tell the people frankly that you have failed to do certain things. I assure you that the people will not criticize somebody who has tried but failed to do something."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that the administration should respond appropriately to the criticisms that are voiced in the media or legal centers. He added that the appropriate way to deal with criticisms is to explain and clarify and that aggression will not yield any results.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed that the administration should pay attention to priorities and added that priorities should be specified and pursued in a careful way.
His Eminence said that making too many promises to the people will raise expectations and added: "It is necessary and appropriate to keep the promises that the government has made to the people. This will strengthen the people's trust in the government. Conversely, if these promises are not realized, doubts will be created in the minds of the people."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that it is good to compare the performance of the current administration with previous administrations, but added: "It is also very important to compare what the administration has promised with what has been done."
Elsewhere in his statements, Ayatollah Khamenei stressed the need for economic jihad. His Eminence stated that economic jihad is an urgent need and not just a priority. "Livelihood of the people is very important to the Islamic Republic and only a healthy and strong economy can help the country achieve this goal. And a healthy and strong economy requires economic jihad."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that economic jihad is necessary to achieve the goals specified in the 20-Year Strategic Plan, further adding: "In this essential document, it has been specified that Iran should turn into the strongest economy in the region. If this goal is not realized and if we fall behind our rivals in this regard, we will receive powerful blows. Therefore, the only way is to engage in economic jihad."
Ayatollah Khamenei stressed the need to pay serious attention to the issue of culture and reiterated: "As far as cultural issues are concerned - including books and artistic works and organizations - it is necessary to preserve revolutionary and Islamic orientations in a decisive way without standing on ceremony with anybody."
His Eminence said that the resources of the country are limited and stressed the need to specify priorities in cultural matters.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution advised the administration to avoid highlighting side issues and said that the country needs hard work and risk-taking. "In such conditions, it is not appropriate for the administration to engage in side issues. Of course sometimes, because of lack of attention, the administration prepares the ground for such side issues."
His Eminence referred to the efforts to promote nationalism in the country and stated that it is necessary to stress the accomplishments which were made in Iran after the introduction of Islam. He added that Iran's accomplishments after the introduction of Islam have been unprecedented in the history of Iran.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: "If you want to promote the Iranian identity, the era after the introduction of Islam is more documented."