In a meeting with the head and members of the Assembly of Experts, Ayatollah Khamenei the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the enemies are trying to pursue their goals through psychological warfare and that a military strike against Iran is highly unlikely. The Assembly of Experts, currently headed by Ayatollah Hashemi-Rafsanjani, is responsible for selecting the leader and supervising his activities.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated that the enemies of the Islamic Republic change their machinations as the Islamic Republic becomes stronger. He added: "The Islamic establishment has the thirty-year experience of confronting different challenges. But considering the Islamic Republic's progress and its increasingly complex achievements, the enemies' machinations and conspiracies have grown similarly more complex. Different aspects of these machinations have to be identified in order to confront them."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that a military strike against the Islamic Republic is highly unlikely in the present conditions and reiterated: "At the present stage, the enemy has decided to confront the Islamic establishment through psychological warfare, which is called a soft war. And the main goal of the enemy in this war is to present the strong points and opportunities of the Islamic Republic as weak points and dangers."
His Eminence stressed: "In this soft war, using their numerous propaganda and communication means, the enemies target the faith, knowledge, willpower, and foundations of the governments and countries that oppose them. And confronting this necessitates vigilant and wise presence in the arena. Of course such presence will bring about divine assistance."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution outlined the enemy's machinations in its soft war against the Islamic Republic. He said that the enemy is trying to achieve its goals through distorting the signs of hope and portraying them as signs of despair and suspicion.
Ayatollah Khamenei added: "The 85 percent turnout rate in the presidential election, the strength of the people's commitment to the Islamic Republic, and the election of the president with an unprecedented number of votes is considered a very important strong point. The opponents of the establishment are trying to turn this advantage into suspicion and despair."
The Leader said that there are many areas for hope in the country and added: "The strong infrastructures, the country's preparedness for a quantum leap, the remarkable scientific achievements, the thirty-year experience of the Islamic Republic, the dynamic, educated, and self-confident young generation, and the Twenty-Year Strategic Plan, which has specified the scientific progress of the country until the year 1404, are all among the prominent achievements of the Islamic Republic. And the enemies want to turn them into weak points and despair through instilling pessimism into the people and portraying the current situation as bleak."
The Leader of the Islamic Republic said that the enemies' efforts to create discord at different levels are another aspect of the soft war and stressed: "Today the signs of national unity and public unanimity are visible in our society. The presence of the people in Friday prayers during the holy month of Ramadan, the high rate of public turnout in the Quds Day rallies, and the impressive presence of the people in Eid ul-Fitr prayers were among the unique manifestations of this unity. Everybody must make efforts to strengthen this unity."
His Eminence said that the divisive actions and statements of some individuals are due to their ignorance and lack of vigilance. He added: "We must do our best to preserve and strengthen religious and ethnic unity."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to the investment made by the Islamic Republic's enemies in order to divert the attention of the public and the elites away from their enmity and added: "This issue does not mean that we should disregard the problems and shortcomings of our society. Similarly, it is not possible to ignore the obvious machinations and measures of the enemy."
Ayatollah Khamenei reiterated: "Is it possible to ignore the enemy's delight at some of the issues that happened after the election? The English government - with its 200-year black record [of crimes] against Iran - the American government, and some other governments praise the actions of some individuals and say that they support the Iranians. The people are also part of the Islamic Republic."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that everyone, particularly the elites, should be vigilant so that their words and actions do not play into the hands of those who oppose the establishment.
Ayatollah Khamenei urged the elites and political groups to increase their vigilance and stated that the enemies' role in the post-election chaos cannot be denied.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that developing a true understanding of the Islamic Republic is one of the necessities of safeguarding the establishment and said: "The Islamic Republic has different aspects. The different aspects of the Islamic Republic are interwoven and should be considered alongside one another.
His Eminence further touched upon the different aspects of the Islamic Republic and said: "The Islamic Republic has an Islamic and a democratic aspect. And being a democratic and republican system is a fact which is rooted in Islamic principles. Therefore, undermining any of the two aspects will undermine the whole system.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that in an Islamic society, the duty of Velayat-e Faqih is to safeguard the whole system and stated: "Based on this view, individuals and society, sharia and rationality, spirituality and justice, and kindness and firmness in action are all considered alongside each other." He further added that deviating from this principle will result in deviation from the Islamic system.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that such a view of Islam was what Imam Khomeini (r.a.) had in mind and said that other views of Islam such as Islamic monarchy and socialistic Islam are all American versions of Islam.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that "courage in thinking" and "courage in taking actions" are other needs of society, particularly the elites, at the moment. He added that no one should stand on ceremony when speaking the truth.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that Imam Khomeini's unique courage was the reason behind his great political, scientific, and social achievements.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that some seditious people tried at different times to instill fear and passivity into the people, particularly the elites. He added: "The elites should enlighten the people through their insight when faced with sedition and should stay vigilant because their silence will sometimes contribute to sedition."
Ayatollah Khamenei said that the post-election chaos in the country was pre-planned and said: ‘By Allah's favor, this plot was unsuccessful and the enemies' efforts were counterproductive."
Ayatollah Khamenei said: "After the passage of thirty years, the Islamic Republic is a powerful system and one can feel Allah's power in this regard. But Allah's blessings and kindness will only continue as long as we are all at the service of the Revolution and its goals, and as long as we do not refrain from any efforts in following this path."
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the presence of prominent clergymen and religious scholars is one of the unique characteristics of the Assembly of Experts and said: "The members of the Assembly of Experts have always been concerned about national and public matters which are within the framework of the Revolution, Islam, and defending the values and principles. Personal matters and political tendencies have never played a part in the Assembly of Experts."
His Eminence also expressed his condolences over the martyrdom of Mamousta Sheikholeslam, who was a member of the Assembly of Experts, and said that the loss of this religious scholar was a great loss. He said that those who committed this crime should know that their terrorist attacks will prove to be futile and will not further the goals of those who oppose the establishment.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that foreigners and the enemies' intelligence services are responsible for this crime and added that the seminarians and Kurdish people will continue to follow the path of this honorable martyr more enthusiastically than before.