The following is the full text of the speech delivered on November 11, 2006 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with the Armed Forces of Semnan Province.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Today, I am very happy to meet you brave and religious soldiers, the Army of Dhul-Fiqar, Qaem Brigade and other units from the Islamic Republic of Iran Army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Basij and the Police Force. I am very happy to meet this army at its headquarters.
The role of the Armed Forces during the eventful life of the Islamic Republic has been a glorious role. Our Armed Forced have shown their position, capabilities and determination in the arena of action more than they have done so in words. In the first years after the formation of the Islamic Republic - when the enemies considered the country to be empty of armed forces - God's will was that our Armed Forces put up such a powerful defense in the face of the all-out attack of the enemies that the ground became prepared for building the bodies and souls of the prepared and talented youth of this country.
Each and every hour during the Sacred Defense Era was a fruitful and blessed lesson for the people, the country and our Armed Forces themselves. At that time, our Armed Forces saw beside them a group of youth who were not attached to any military organization. In those days, the relationship of the Armed Forces with the people and their cooperation and unity with one another in the blessed fronts of this glorious defense strengthened.
Today, our Armed Forces are from, with and for the people. The source of honor for them is that their goals are originated from a deep Islamic faith. Today, military instruction, maneuvers, preparedness, discipline, weapons and everything that is related to the defense of a nation with the help of their armed forces originate from God and from divine and Islamic faith. Our Armed Forces do not enter and have not entered this arena for the sake of their individual desires, positions and materialistic goals. Goals originate from faith and paths and plans originate from religious and Quranic teachings. Their goal has been formulated by saints. The people feel that their youth move on the path of God when they wear the holy uniforms of Sacred Defense in any organization.
Today, in a world which is full of materialistic motives, in a world in which the greedy sacrifice people's lives for the sake of their satanic and evil goals and make the peaceful environment of people's lives insecure and in a world in which armed forces attack the lives and wealth of nations, everyone can see the bitter examples of savagery in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and many other areas in the world. In such an era, a people who want to preserve their dignity and honor should rely on the determination of their youth and men and on sincere and heartfelt faith. If our Armed Forces obey a command, this stems from the commands of religion and their sincere faith. This is a source of pride for a nation. It strengthens a nation like steel and it helps a country to benefit from a permanent and real security.
Today, we are proud of our Armed Forces. Each organization in our Armed Forces - our Army, our Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, our Police Force and other military organizations - is busy making religious and genuine efforts within the remit of their responsibilities and commitments. Wherever you are, each and every one of you should keep alive this faith in yourselves and you should not become tired of making efforts.
In the life and history of nations, there are some stages which are fateful for them. In the eventful era after the Revolution, we passed through one of these stages. Our history, our future, our children and all generations in great Islamic Iran are indebted to the efforts that are made today by the officials of the country whether officials in the Armed Forces and the Police Force or officials in other responsible organizations. What we do today is important and fateful. Good instruction, good behavior, good performance, firm determination, vigilant awakening, solidarity and unity among different sectors and benefitting from the different talents that exist in you should constitute the plan of the Armed Forces at different levels and in different organizations.
Do not become tired and weary of moving on God's path. You should never be intimidated by the enemies who are empty of religion, morality and justice: "So lose not heart, nor fall into despair" [The Holy Quran, 3: 139]. This is the Holy Quran's command. "For you shall have the upper hand if you are true in faith" [The Holy Quran, 3: 139]. Your faith has made you become the best. So, you should preserve it. You should use it in your collective and individual actions and in carrying out your duties and responsibilities. You youth in particular should prepare yourselves for heavier and greater responsibilities.
Now that - by Allah's favor and grace - the country has managed, with its power and dignity, to get rid of the enemy's deceptions and plots on the international scene, you should strengthen and reinforce your worldly and otherworldly dignity and power in your behavior. Each organization and each sector inside these organizations should correctly identify their responsibilities and they should be deeply committed to them. They should consider unity, cooperation and solidarity with one another to be a fundamental and irrevocable principle.
You should know that our people - who have used determination and faith as their main principle and who have known and relied on their identity - will have no fate other than achieving dignity, glory and power on a daily basis. Everyone should cooperate with one another on the path of reaching this glorious peak. Everyone should encourage others on this path: "[Those who] enjoin on each other truth, and enjoin on each other patience." [The Holy Quran, 103].
I thank the Creator for giving me the opportunity to see the firm faces of you dear youth of our nation. I ask Allah the Exalted to bestow success and health on all you and all honorable commanders in our military organizations. I wish that all of you benefit from the prayers of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake).
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings