In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master, Muhammad, and his pure, immaculate Progeny, particularly the Remnant of God on earth.
I would like to welcome each and every one of you, dear brothers, dear sisters, progenies [of this nation] who have made the Iranian nation proud. God willing, you all will be successful and assisted (by God).
The purpose of this meeting is to express our gratitude and sincere appreciation to each one of you. I would like to thank the 86th Flotilla, which carried out a great mission. It successfully circumnavigated the globe, something which has never been accomplished before in the maritime history of our country. I would also like to express my thanks to your families. I will mention a few words about the families later on.
I would also like to thank the honorable commander of the Iranian Navy and the strategic headquarters that was formed in the Army, [that is] the Zulfaqar Strategic Headquarters, which was continuously in contact with the flotilla.
I inquired several times and saw that they were at all times fully informed about the mission of the flotilla. I would also like to thank the support teams — the technical teams, the meteorological headquarters, and the like. Their support allowed this great mission to be carried out by a group of people, [all] working together, and you the crew and the members of the 86th Flotilla were able to, God willing, carry out this great operation with pride, and you were able to accomplish it.
I would like to take the opportunity to remember the martyrs of the Iranian Navy, the martyrs of the frigate Peykan who [like you] were also young, selfless men. I would also like to remember the martyrs of the honorable Army of the Islamic Republic. We are all indebted to them and their families. My dear ones, the actions of your predecessors from the time of the important events of the Revolution continuing up until today paved the way for your success today, and you should appreciate what they did.
The Army and the IRGC made many sacrifices at sea, and these sacrifices have borne fruit. You are the blossoming flowers that have grown from the green plant they brought forth, the sweet fruit from the tree they planted. Today, we are standing at a proud point [in history]. It’s true, the honorable Navy commander and the honorable commander of the flotilla made some good comments and some matters were also mentioned on television, but no, the story of your mission will not end like this. A more detailed description and a more thorough account of the story is needed and it must be spoken about and be clarified. We are in a position of honor now. We have arrived at this point because of the efforts and sacrifices that have been made.
The 86th Flotilla’s great accomplishment is an honor that has been carried out for the first time in our maritime history. If we put aside the humiliating years of the Pahlavi and Qajar rule, we did have seafaring before and it wasn’t bad. But what we had before was far less than what you have accomplished today. Your flotilla brought about this great honor. A group of 350 people with an experienced, skillful commander was able to travel 65,000 kilometers — circumnavigating the globe. You were at sea for almost eight months, 232 days to be exact. These are great achievements. In the world’s most renowned naval forces, there are few people who have accomplished this and are able to accomplish this. But you accomplished this. You sailed across three oceans and returned proudly to your homeland. What you accomplished is very meaningful. It cannot be viewed as being merely a naval or military event. What you did has depth. I would like to mention a few things about this.
First of all, this great movement shows that there is great determination, willpower, and self-confidence in our military forces. These are very important matters, three important factors: being determined, making an effort by having willpower, and having self-confidence — in other words, having a “We can” mindset. That’s one side of the story. There is also the matter of military knowledge and the ability to design. An important component of these operations is their design. It is very important that an organization is able to design something like this, which is the military knowledge. And yet another dimension includes courage, perseverance, and the ability to endure hardships.
We speak easily about spending eight months at sea. [However], those who have spent just two or three days at sea understand what eight months on the water means! Enduring these hardships is very important. You see, your work tells of these truths. Each one of these truths deserves attention. That is, one very important thing is that, for example, a military group was able to acquire the capability to design an operation of this kind. Another important thing is believing in yourself and having confidence. And other important factors.
Effective management that is accompanied by skill is another factor. Capable, efficient, skilled management is also very important. This is the front line of the operation. Behind the scene, the formation of the strategic headquarters that I mentioned and the continuous communication between the commander and army officials with the crew moving on the seas was also a very important part of the story.
As was mentioned in the reports — I didn’t write it down — I believe that about 80 meetings, for example, have been held in that center over the past few months. All of these things are deserving of praise. They are important. This is one part of the importance of your job, which, as I will speak about later, must be explained to others. There are ways to do this, which I will briefly mention.
Another issue is the role that families play. The honorable lady [spouse of one the crew members who spoke at the beginning of the meeting] mentioned some matters, [but] it is more than that. These feelings of concern [are not an insignificant matter]. Your loved one is at sea for eight months! You’re worried, you miss them, and you don’t know what to tell your children. Parents have been patient in one way and spouses in another way. They endured this, and they felt proud. When I saw the [television] footage of the families of the sailors when the flotilla returned to our shores, I could sense the feeling of pride in their wives and parents. This feeling of pride is very important. It motivates both you and others to accomplish these kinds of great tasks. If the families had nagged and complained, if they had expressed discontent and displeasure, those who had gone would have felt regret. Thank God, your families passed this test well, they were very patient, they felt proud and they showed this pride.
I feel it necessary right here and now to remember and bow in respect to the families of our dear martyrs. Thank God, your loved ones returned to you. You have been able to see them and hold them in your arms. The families of the martyrs still feel an emptiness due to the departure of their loved ones. Whatever we have is due to such sacrifices. Whatever we have is because of such nobility. We are all indebted to them. Every time I meet the families of the martyrs, I pray that God will keep them for the Iranian nation.
I would like to share a few points about this great action taken by the Navy. The first point is that what you accomplished is a clear example of the verse, “Prepare against them whatever you can of power and war-horses” (Quran 8:60). The Quran clearly instructs us, with no interpretation needed, to “prepare against them”. [It is said to] prepare “whatever you can” in the face of your enemies. You see, this is the Quran, it is not a mere religious possibility or an ambiguous narration. It is a clear verse from the Quran, “Prepare against them whatever you can.” You need to increase your preparedness as much as possible.
What you did was an example of this noble verse. You increased your preparedness, you demonstrated your abilities. Even though the action you took was the result of the efforts that had previously been made, but this in itself became a precedent and a foundation for greater things that will be accomplished from hereon. This is how it is, you did this preparedness. So the first point was that the 86th Flotilla’s achievement was an example of the verse, “Prepare against them whatever you can”.
What you did improved the confidence of our forces. It elevated the level of our military capabilities. It strengthened the belief of “We can” in people's minds and such a mindset is the basis of our progress. The enemy also backs away when it sees this, that is how it naturally is. In the continuation of the aforementioned verse, it is stated, “Awing thereby the enemy of Allāh” (8:60). You need to increase your preparedness so that the enemy feels that you are prepared. One of things that encourages the enemy to attack is when it feels that the other side is passive, weak, and hesitant. Such a situation encourages the enemy to take action. But when it sees that you are awake, prepared, capable, and knowledgeable, it will naturally think otherwise.
The next point is that your endeavor provided valuable experience in the field of seafaring for the navy and the military forces. In other words, new experiences have been gained: you crossed the Pacific Ocean and this has never been done in our maritime history. You passed through challenging straits and waterways, as mentioned [in the report]. Passing through some of these straits was a difficult, technical task that requires skill. You accomplished this. You were able to pass through these straits and difficult routes without any unfavorable events taking place.
Encountering complications on the seas in remote areas: when you were thousands of kilometers away from home, you encountered various issues that you faced and dealt with them. Another experience was your self-sufficiency in fuel, electricity, and facilities for healthcare. That is, during this adventurous voyage, you became self-sufficient in obtaining fuel, electricity and energy, and healthcare — in terms of both hygiene and treatment. You were able to perform surgical procedures. These are very valuable experiences.
You were also able to gain new experience in communicating with your headquarters. This communication itself is a very important point, this ability to communicate. These were your experiences. These are scientific assets. These things that I have mentioned, these achievements, are all scientific assets and should be taught in universities. They can be presented as course material in naval universities and in academies that are related to this subject.
The next point is that what you have accomplished has improved Iran’s international image. What I want to say is that the political value of your work was no less than its military value. The fact that you were able to carry out such a large task on the sea, that [you demonstrated] Iran possesses this amount of power, this number of young people, this scientific capability, and this vast amount of skill — which allowed it to accomplish such a great task — brought about international status for the country.
The next point is that there are several lessons to be learned from your seafaring, it had significant lessons. The first lesson is that it teaches us about God. The sea is one of the clear signs of God’s existence. In the supplication [the Jawshan Kabir Supplication], it is written, “O He who possesses wonders in the sea …”. The sea is the center of the wonders of creation. The majesty of the sea, the infiniteness of the oceans, the beauty of the various sights at sea, the fury of the sea — in some places — the grace of the sea, and the amazing sea creatures are all divine signs. These are all signs of God. The sea is actually an exhibition of God's signs. So the first lesson of this seafaring is that it teaches us about God. A person's belief in God is strengthened, one sees the divine signs.
The second lesson is a lesson about the Revolution. This seafaring shed light on the value and importance of Iran's Islamic Revolution for us, for you, and for everyone who becomes aware of your story. Why? Because it was the Revolution that gave us this knowledge, capability, and self-confidence. The Revolution gave us the determination and courage to carry out such a great mission. There was not even a mention of these kinds of things before the Revolution.
During the disgraceful period of the Pahlavi and Qajar rule, we had no knowledge about the sea and its capacities despite the country’s vast coastal areas and maritime resources. The Navy was preoccupied with other things. Fortunately, you didn’t experience those days. There were some fair, honest people who told us what was going on in the Navy back then — there were no signs of these kinds of achievements [back then]. This accomplishment was presented and provided for our forces by the Revolution. So the next lesson was a lesson about the Revolution. The Revolution saved the sea and seafaring from being put aside and forgotten [in Iran].
The next lesson from your achievement was your presence which brought security. Your presence in remote areas, at the far ends of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, contributed to the country’s security. You proved that the sea belongs to everyone and that the high seas do not belong to certain people. If the superpowers were able to, they would even register the oceans in their own name so that others would not have access to them. Monopolization of areas belonging to all of humanity is one of the characteristics of the United States and the superpowers. You showed the falseness of this.
Of course, hostile actions were taken against you during this journey to hinder your mission or to ruin it, but you overcame them. You proved that the high seas belong to everyone. One of the clear results of your work was that you showed that the high seas belong to everyone. [They say,] “We won’t allow certain ships to pass through certain straits.” Nonsense! Why? The high seas belong to everyone. Everyone should be able to travel through them. People should be able to travel back and forth. The sea and the air must be free for all nations. Security for shipping and maritime transport must be ensured for all countries. Today, the US attacks oil tankers and helps maritime smugglers. What they are doing is a major violation. They do this in our region, and we are aware that they are doing this more or less in other places as well. These are violations of an international human law that cannot be disregarded. You practically implemented this law of public safety on the sea for everyone. This is another lesson.
A conclusion can be made from all the lessons I have mentioned and from all the things I have said about your endeavor, and that is that we should all know that human success, great achievements, diverse developments, and fulfilled hopes are all the result of effort and enduring hardships. Nothing is gained by seeking one’s own comfort, by sitting in a corner, by just watching things, by regretting, by sighing, or by complaining. You must endure hardships. You need to struggle and work hard in order to succeed. It is not enough to look at the peak of a mountain that someone else has climbed and say, “I want to be there as well”. If you want to get there, you need to endure the discomfort of moving on this path or you won’t get there. You have proven this. This is an important lesson.
Now I would like to mention two other brief points at the end of my speech. One point is that the story of your eight-month journey can be the source for a good television or movie project. Artists need to come forward. What happened to you during this period is not something that can fit in a report of a few pages or in a speech of a few minutes. Every detail of what you experienced [needs to be noted]. There were 350 of you. Each one of you had feelings, did things, had certain thoughts, did certain things and experienced moments of happiness and moments of sadness. All of these things together can form a long, informative, meaningful story. This story can be presented in an artistic form, in a cinematic or televised form. It is up to the artists to do this.
The final point, which concerns the country’s officials, is paying attention to the sea. We are still not paying enough attention to the sea. Today, the sea encompasses 90% of global trade. Maritime transport is the most important part of international transport. Fortunately, we are one of the countries that has maritime borders that stretch for thousands of kilometers. We have diverse seas. We have a sea in the north of the country. We have a sea and an ocean in the south of the country. We should use these as much as possible. We must make good use of the sea. Our respected officials who work in relevant departments should sit down and think about this matter. They need to make plans. Of course, it has been a while that a project for this has been underway, but it needs to make more progress. We must make good use of the sea.
Some countries are landlocked. In fact, some countries are imprisoned between several other countries. Wherever they wish to go, they need to obtain permission to pass through those countries. They don’t have any seas. During my time as president, there was an international gathering where the head of a country requested to meet with me. He came and sat next to me. One of the first questions he asked was, “Do you have any seas?” I replied, “Yes, we have many great seas.” He said, “You are so fortunate! We have no seas.” That was his problem. One of the first issues he raised was about having or lacking seas. And that is the truth of the matter. We must make use of the sea. We need to make use of our diverse, lengthy coastal borders and work on this matter to benefit our national interest.
This year, due to the blessings that come from Imam Mahdi’s (aj) attention to us, [the month of] Muharram was filled with great energy and spirit. The enemies tried to take the life away from Muharram, but the exact opposite of what they wanted took place. This year, the first ten days of Muharram [leading up to the day of Ashura], were more spirited, dynamic, rich, and fruitful than previous years. That is how God works. When something is being done for the cause of God, and it is in accordance with divine goals, Almighty God helps people achieve it.
I hope that, God willing, you will always be successful and honored. You are my children in the true sense of the word. My prayers are with you and I hope that, God willing, you will be successful and assisted (by God) in all the events in your lives and in all the big tests in life, just like you have done in this test.
May God’s greetings, mercy, and blessings be upon you
