Thousands of residents and Arabic-speaking tribes of the Dasht-e-Azadegan, Sousangerd, Bostan and Hamidiyeh regions in southern Khouzestan Province met the Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei in Dehlaviyeh on Saturday, March 25.
In an address to the audience, the Leader paid tribute to the martyrs of the Sacred Defense and stated that the honor of the Iranian nation and the independence of the country are indebted to the self-sacrifice of martyrs and other Iranian combatants who stood up to the Ba'thist enemy and its supporters and thwarted their plots.
Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that the resistance of Islamic combatants and residents of Khouzestan Province, including the zealous Arabic-speaking tribes, in the Sacred Defense era caused the enemies' plots and machinations to prove futile.
"The world's arrogant powers should bear in mind that the men and women of this country have turned into tempered steel in various crucibles, and that they consider it their historic mission to safeguard Islam and the flag of Islam which has been raised in this country and which constitutes the strategic depth of the Iranian nation in the Muslim world," Ayatollah Khamenei told the gathering.
Stressing that Iranian government officials should duly recognize the worth and merit of the Iranian nation and make earnest efforts to serve the public, the Leader pointed out that the officials of the incumbent government are determined to serve the people and solve the problems that are facing the public.
Further in his statements, Ayatollah Khamenei addressed the gathering in Arabic, which drew expressions of warm feelings and enthusiasm from the local residents.
"The residents of this region are well known for their devotion to the Holy Prophet's progeny (greetings be upon them) and for their loyalty to their homeland, and this reality is corroborated by the struggle of the local residents against British colonialists and also by their resistance and self-sacrifice in the Sacred Defense era," Ayatollah Khamenei told the audience.
The Leader of the Islamic Republic stated that Khouzestan Province, with its remarkable talented workforce and its abundant natural resources, is capable of turning into a developed province. He called on the local officials and residents to make every effort to achieve this objective.
Ayatollah Khamenei also made a visit to a memorial building complex built in commemoration of Martyr Dr. Mostafa Chamran and martyrs of the Dasht-e-Azadegan region.
The Leader further visited the Martyrs Cemetery in Sousangerd. He paid homage to the martyrs of the Sacred Defense and honored their memory.