The following is the full text of the speech delivered on September 3, 2015 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting with the chairman and members of the Assembly of Experts. The meeting was held on the occasion of the 18th Congress of the Assembly of Experts.
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master, Muhammad and upon his immaculate household, especially the one remaining with Allah on earth.
Allah the Omniscient said in His book, "It is He Who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers, that they may add faith to their faith, for to Allah belong the forces of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is Full of Knowledge and Wisdom" [The Holy Quran, 48: 4].
Divine tranquility
I would like to welcome the dear and honorable brothers and I thank you for enlightening our work place with the light of your presence. The Assembly of Experts and its members are so significant that one feels your presence in any place will - by Allah's favor - be a source of blessings. The Assembly of Experts can be a complete embodiment of divine tranquility because the existence of this divine tranquility is one of the signs of faith: "It is He Who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers, that they may add faith to their faith." This divine tranquility increases and strengthens faith in people. Tranquility means peace of mind in the face of storms. Naturally, different events, pieces of news, enmities and situations create a psychological turmoil in people. So, in many cases, this tranquility strengthens one's mind and one's path. Allah the Exalted bestows this tranquility on believers because of their faith and He assures them that "for to Allah belong the forces of the heavens and the earth."
What are we afraid of? All the forces of the heavens and the earth and all the traditions of nature belong to God. If we believe in and serve Him, then all these forces will be at the service of believers. This is the kind of tranquility that one can find. One, two ayahs after this God says, "For to Allah belong the forces of the heavens and the earth and Allah is Exalted in Power, Full of Wisdom" [The Holy Quran, 48: 7]. Believers move forward, live and breathe in such a world and in such an environment. The Assembly of Experts is one of the places that can provide such tranquility.
Elections
Two important elections are held in this Assembly: one is the election through which the people elect their trusted candidates. The major responsibility of these trusted personalities is to elect and appoint someone later on. This is the second election which is the election of the Leader. There are two elections here. So, this means that the Assembly of Experts is the manifestation of the presence of the people. It represents populism and the role of the people's votes and opinions. We have no other organization that contains two elections in itself and that shows the existence of independent willpower and determination. The second election is the Leadership election. The difference between this election and other communal elections is that in the former, the main criterion is fiqh - that is to say, Islamic values. Therefore, the choice that the members of this Assembly make is for the sake of establishing Islamic values, implementing Islamic rules and practicing Islam in the reality of life. Divine religions did not emerge so that they could merely exist in people's minds, rather they emerged so that they could be practiced in the reality of life. Well, this requires certain tools. In this case, the tool is the Assembly of Experts that guarantees the establishment of divine values, the implementation of divine laws and the rule of God's religion and the rule of Islam.
This Assembly is also the manifestation of the people's votes and religious or Islamic democracy. This Assembly is, in fact, the complete embodiment of Islamic democracy. The significance of the Assembly of Experts lies here. When the Assembly is formed and when it displays its preparedness, its intellectual independence and its awareness, this will engender tranquility and comfort in the hearts of believers. In fact, this divine tranquility overflows from this Assembly into society. Therefore, it is important to pay careful attention in the process of both elections: both the election through which the people elect the members of this Assembly and the election through which the members elect the Leader. The issue of adopting the necessary measures and having intellectual independence should be completely observed. I have certain points to discuss about the elections, but I will discuss them in other meetings. I do not want to address this issue in the present meeting.
The Assembly of Experts
This Assembly is, in fact, the complete embodiment of Islamic democracy
The Assembly of Experts should have intellectual independence
The Assembly of Experts should have intellectual independence. Later on, I will speak about the basis of this intellectual independence. The main point is that it should not be enslaved by the imposed clichés of global arrogance. Certain thoughts and concepts are being promoted, day and night and throughout the world, by the vast propaganda apparatuses of global arrogance. One of the most important issues is that we should not become a prisoner of such propaganda. I am not only offering this piece of advice to the Assembly of Experts, rather I am offering it to all the officials of the country, to all the organizations of the Islamic Republic and to all experts - political, social and religious experts. They should be careful and know that "If you obey most of those in the earth, they will lead you astray from Allah's way" [The Holy Quran, 6: 116]. Just because they repeat, focus and rely on a specific issue with their vast propaganda tools and just because they express it in different ways, does not mean we should go with the flow and repeat what they say. This should not be the case because we ourselves have certain principles and thoughts.
Imperialist clichés
They want to impose their clichés on their minds. They like everyone to view the world from their own perspective. They want everyone to understand and identify the concepts that they highlight with their own perspective and viewpoints.
Arrogance is trying to impose its intended clichés on the people throughout the world and on all nations particularly on the officials and influential personalities in countries - that is to say, on governments, members of parliaments, decision-makers and, as they say, think tanks. They want to impose their clichés on their minds. They like everyone to view the world from their own perspective. They want everyone to understand and identify the concepts that they highlight with their own perspective and viewpoints. This attitude is an imperialist attitude. With this imperialist attitude, they fabricate, distort and define certain concepts and they want everyone to understand and use them in their literature on the basis of their own definitions. For example, terrorism is a concept that arrogance uses in a specific sense. The same is true of human rights or democracy. From their perspective, bombarding Yemen and striking houses, hospitals and schools is not terrorism. Similarly, attacking Palestinian settlements in Gaza and other places over and over again and killing hundreds and thousands of innocent and defenseless children, women and men is not terrorism from their viewpoint. When the people of Bahrain say that each and every one of them inside that country should have a vote, this has nothing to do with human rights and it is not considered as a demand for human rights, but the defense that Resistance Forces in Palestine and Lebanon launch, is terrorism.
The groups that resist in Lebanon and Palestine, that fight against occupiers and that defend themselves and their houses are labeled as terrorists. What is happening in dictatorial countries in the world - which are considered the friends and close ones of arrogance and America in the region - is not a violation of human rights, but the punishment of a criminal that has confessed to his crime and or the punishment of a person who has turned tens, hundreds and thousands of people in a country into drug addicts is against human rights! They are like this.
Imposing concepts
They define concepts the way they like and they want others to understand and express them the way they want. Assassinating nuclear scientists is not considered a terrorist act and it does not require any punishment - this is while the Zionists pretty much explicitly announced that this was their doing and some European countries almost confessed that they supported them - but they organize a Security Council meeting for a much smaller event that takes place in Lebanon or another country. This is how they look at global issues.
They distort some concepts and fabricate some others. They express something in a dictatorial way and they expect the whole world - including us in the Islamic Republic - to understand and see it on the basis of their own perspective and to speak on the basis of their own discourse. This is what they expect from us. This is a clear sign and manifestation of domination and arrogance, but the Islamic Revolution has its own thought system.
The Islamic Revolution
The significance of this Revolution does not lie in its overthrowing a regime. The reason why it shook the whole world is not this, rather the reason is that it presented a new thought system to the world. Today too, this thought system is continuing to develop throughout the world. Despite the effort that they are making to conceal and to deny it, this thought system is spreading everywhere and it is attracting many hearts in the world - whether in the world of Islam or to a lesser degree, in the world outside Islam. Hearts continue to be attracted to it. This thought system has preserved its novelty and freshness.
One of the most important constituents of this thought system, which is very attractive, is rejecting oppression, arrogance and dictatorship. This dictatorship includes the way some rulers and governments behave towards their people and the dictatorship that global arrogance has created on a global level. This is one constituent of this thought system. The dignity of peoples, national dignity and - in Islamic countries - Islamic dignity, the independence of nations from others and from reliance on others are the constituents of this Islamic thought system. Independence should exist in its complete form because independence is very important and it includes political, economic and intellectual independence. The most important one is intellectual independence because it can gather other forms behind itself. These are among the elements that exist in this Islamic thought system. These are the things that can attract and that contain novelty and freshness. They do not become outdated and they do not come to an end.
"Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic"
The famous slogan "Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic" is a kind of movement from the specific to the general. It is an expression of the general after the specific. First, we say, "Independence" and then we say, "Freedom". Independence is part of freedom. If we only look at individual freedom, this is one side of the coin, but freedom from the domination of powers and superpowers is the other side of the coin. This is freedom as well. Therefore, independence is part of freedom and if those who want freedom reject independence, they are actually opposed to freedom. Unfortunately, sometimes one sees that some so-called intellectuals reject independence and its constituents with apparently logical but in fact illogical sophistries. Independence is an inseparable part of freedom. It is a constituent of freedom. Part of the concept of freedom is the independence of a country and liberation on a national level. This is the meaning of independence. Now, the Islamic Republic includes all these concepts. That is to say, the Islamic Republic does not only mean freedom. It does not only mean independence. It includes these concepts and many others. When we explain these things for our addressees, we see that they are attracted to them. These things attract hearts.
The result of these intellectual outlooks is that the people begin to believe in themselves. Today, our people have found such self-belief and it is thankfully increasing in our country on a daily basis. Despite the fact that they constantly create obstacles for it and that they have constantly struck it in different ways, this self-belief is fortunately growing in our country on a regular basis. Self-belief, intellectual freedom, practical freedom - which means freedom in the real sense of the word, not the kind of individual freedom that exists in the west and in America because this is in fact against freedom - Islamic lifestyle, innovation, cooperation and national unity exist in our country. These are the things that are realized in the mind, actions and reality of society and all of them are in line with Islamic values. Well, these things help a people grow. When an independent intellectual outlook, national self-confidence, creativity, innovation, diligence and hard work, unity between all forces and a continuous movement exist among a people, then this will help them to grow. And our people have fortunately grown. Of course, there have been many obstacles ahead of them which I will refer to later on.
The future of Islamic Republic
Imagine a day when Iran will be among today's advanced countries in terms of material progress, science, technology and wealth. Imagine a country that enjoys such characteristics: it is advanced in terms of science and technology, it has a population of 150, 200 million people, it enjoys spirituality - that is to say, it is not after dominating and bullying others and imposing its ideas on other people - it helps the oppressed and it stands up against the extravagant claims of global bullies. Notice how intolerable this is for global arrogance. The purpose of all the efforts that are being made in confronting the Islamic Republic is to prevent such a day from happening. The purpose of all these efforts is to prevent this future for the Islamic Republic. They do not want an advanced country that has all the criteria for material progress, that enjoys spirituality and spiritual purity, an Islamic lifestyle, brotherhood, national unity and cooperation, and that does not oppress other countries to be created. They do not want such a day to come for Islamic Iran! All their activities, efforts and plots are for the sake of preventing this. This is the source of all contentions: if an Islamic country with such qualities is created, then the market of arrogance and kufr will be ruined. Do you know what magnetism is projected and how hearts will be attracted if a country that can make such material progress, that is reliant on and thankful to Allah the Exalted, that prays to, worships and prostrates before Him, and that surrenders to divine rules is created? They do not want this to happen. This is the source of all contentions. If they are confronting our scientific progress and our political presence in other countries - they are explicitly saying that Iran is influential in the region, in regional countries and among regional peoples - and if they are exerting these economic pressures, this is because they do not want such a condition to arise and such a day to come.
The enemy
They should know what the enemy is doing and what his goal is. We should not be deceived by his smile and possibly by his short-term assistance on a certain issue
We people of Iran, we youth, we religious ulama and we academic intellectuals are the exact opposite of what they are! Against this movement, it is we that should launch our fundamental movement around the pivot of that thought system. Everyone should make efforts, work hard and know what the enemy wants to do. Everyone should be focused. This is the sensitivity that I want all the officials of the country to have. They should know what the enemy is doing and what his goal is. We should not be deceived by his smile and possibly by his short-term assistance on a certain issue - for example, if he helps us somewhere or if he says something in favor- which is very unlikely- of the Islamic Republic. We should know what the enemy wants to do.
Of course, today, the enemy is global arrogance. Global arrogance is not a figment of imagination, rather it is a reality and it has clear manifestations. America is the greatest manifestation of global arrogance and behind the ruling clique in America, there are companies, trusts, cartels and world-devouring and mostly Zionist capitalists. They exist everywhere, not only in America. In Europe and other places too, they are very influential. This is the meaning of arrogance, but the hourglass of arrogance will be broken with such an Islamic movement. This began with the emergence of the Islamic Revolution and it has been continued by the Islamic Republic and its movements. The future is taking the same course as well.
The youth
We see certain things that makes one really hopeful. Sometimes, they show us the achievements - in different areas - that are displayed on exhibitions. Some of them can be announced to the public and they announce it and some of them cannot be announced, but we see them up close. The hands of these youth of ours are really miraculous hands! Young, motivated, faithful, capable, competent and spirited youth who rely on God, who engage in saying salawat and daily prayers and who read the Holy Quran are accomplishing great feats. They are carrying out good tasks and by Allah's favor, the Islamic Republic will witness these achievements.
The sources of wealth
As I said, we are a country with great sources of wealth. On that day, I said among the honorable brothers in the administration that we have received a report saying that we are only using 14 percent of the mineral resources of the country. Our underground resources are one of the most important sources of wealth for our country. The honorable Minister of Industry and Mines said that the report is correct. Well, we are such a country. We have only used 14 percent of the underground resources of the country until today. Other resources are our geographical location, different cultural resources and the depth and influence of Islamic culture and the Holy Prophet's (s.w.a.) household in the world. These are not minor resources, rather they are great sources of wealth. All of these things are at our disposal. The main point that I want to raise is that you members of the Assembly of Experts, the officials of the country, influential personalities and those who have minbar in public environments - whether in the press or in other centers for speaking to the people - and who can exert influence should explain this future as much as you can. You should draw the people towards this future, make hearts hopeful and engender the necessary tranquility in the hearts of believers so that we can move forward. Thankfully, we are making progress.
The JCPOA
There are a number of noteworthy and important issues that are related to the recent developments. I will discuss them briefly: one is the issue of the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] and another is the conditions after the JCPOA. In my opinion, the latter is more important than the former. Well, on the issue of the JCPOA, we said what we deemed necessary in recent months - both before and after the agreement. An issue that exists today is related to the Majlis. Experts should examine the related legal issues and see what the legal requirements are. Then, they should act on the basis of them. We do not want to involve ourselves in this matter, but in general - I have said this to Mr. President as well - I think that it is not in the interest of the country to sideline the Majlis on this issue because after all, this is an issue that has occupied the attention of the country for two years and now these results have been achieved. Therefore, the Majlis should get involved.
Majlis
Now what should the Majlis do? I have no advice to offer to the Islamic Consultative Majlis in this regard. First, what should the nature of decision-making on this matter be? Should it take the form of ratification or should it take another form? Should the members of the Majlis reject or ratify it? I have no recommendations in this regard. The opinion that should be adhered to is the opinion that the people's representatives in the Majlis express. We will not say what the Majlis should and should not do. We believe that it is good not to sideline the Majlis because the people's representatives should make a decision in this regard.
As for issues arising after the JCPOA, in our opinion, there are certain issues that the officials of the country should pay attention to. Of course, we have discussed these matters with our dear and close brothers in the administration. We are saying these things for your information. First, although there are apparently six governments across from us, there is only one government that is really active, namely the government of America. It is this government that has completely entered this arena and that is really sweating and exerting itself.
"The sanctions framework"
American officials speak in a very bad manner. We have to clarify once-and-for-all what they mean by these statements. After all, we form one side of the issue and the Americans are the other side. They sometimes say that the sanctions framework will remain in place. If this is true, then why did we negotiate for so long? We negotiated so that the sanctions framework will be eliminated and that sanctions in general will be lifted. So, is the sanctions framework supposed to remain in place? Now, I do not know what they mean by "the sanctions framework". They might define it in a different way in the future as well, but what we understand from this statement is the exact opposite of the reason why we took part in the negotiations. Otherwise, there would be no need for us to negotiate.
We were doing our job. We had built 19,000 centrifuges and in a short time, we could have built 50,000, 60,000. There was no problem for us to do so. We were producing 20-percent fuel and we could have continued this. We could have continued our research in the same way and at the same rate and we could have done other things. The reason why we entered into negotiations and made some concessions was to lift sanctions. Now, if sanctions are not supposed to be lifted, there will be no deal because this is meaningless. Officials should point this out and they should not say that he [America] is saying this for domestic audiences. Of course, the argument that exists in America is a real one. I do not believe that this argument is a fake and feigned one. They really have some differences and the reason is clear to us. However, what is formally announced by them requires a response because if it is not responded, it will be established as a fact. This is one point.
"Suspension"
The gentlemen and ladies in the ruling system of America speak like the 19th-century English. That is to say, they are two centuries behind the world and history. They speak the way Lord Curzon spoke about the Persian Gulf, Iran and the region once.
The second point is that they use the word "suspension" for part of the sanctions that they said they would lift, but this was not our agreement. It is clear that economic sanctions should be lifted and we said that it should be done "immediately." Now, they have defined "immediately" and we did not disagree with it. It is alright. Our friends in the country defined "immediately" in a particular way and they adopted a specific procedure for it and we did not oppose it, but sanctions should be lifted in any way and we do not agree with such a thing as suspending sanctions. If they suspend sanctions, we too will suspend our activities. If this is the case, then why should we do major groundwork? Therefore, the goal is to lift sanctions. Of course, in some cases they said that lifting sanctions is not within the power of America - which is one of the sides we are faced with. They said that they would suspend such sanctions and that they would use their legal rights and other such things. But those sanctions that are within the power of America or European governments should be completely lifted.
Another point is that they make some statements that are completely beyond the nuclear agreement. They say certain things that completely contradict the nuclear agreement. The gentlemen and ladies in the ruling system of America speak like the 19th-century English. That is to say, they are two centuries behind the world and history. They speak the way Lord Curzon spoke about the Persian Gulf, Iran and the region once. This is the way they speak, but the world has changed. Today, superpowers do not have such power and capability. They do not have what it takes to do such a thing! Moreover, the side that they are faced with is the Islamic Republic. The other side is not such and such a backward country in such and such a continent. So, you cannot say whatever you want. The other side is the Islamic Republic with the capabilities some of which you are aware of. And those capabilities that you are not aware of will become clear to you during action. Therefore, it is not the case that they can sit and issue threats. This is the way they speak.
To do something "different"
One of the things that they say is that they expect the officials or the government of the Islamic Republic to do something "different". What does "different" mean? Different from what? Different from the Islamic Republic's past? No, such a thing will never happen. From their perspective, different means crossing the boundaries of Islamic values and abandoning commitment to Islamic laws, but such a thing will not happen. Neither the government, the Majlis nor officials will ever do this. If someone wishes to do so, the people will not agree. The Islamic Republic will not agree with it either because this is meaningless. By "different" they mean that the Islamic Republic should work within the framework of America's policies in the region. America has certain polices and viewpoints in the region. One of them is that the resistance forces of the region should completely disappear and be destroyed. Another is that the U.S. government should have complete domination over Iraq, Syria and other such countries. These are the viewpoints that they have. The measures that they want to adopt will lead to such results. They expect our officials, our administration and our politicians to move in the direction of these policies, but such a thing will not happen.
The opposite orientations
We have announced that we will not negotiate with the Americans on any issue other than the nuclear issue.
One of the things that they say - which has made us sensitive and concerned - is that the JCPOA has provided America with certain opportunities both inside Iran and in the region. This is what the Americans say. What I would like to say to our friends in the administration and other officials is that they should not allow America to have these opportunities inside the country in any way. Outside Iran too, you should try to prevent America from having these opportunities. If they get close to these opportunities, this will be a starting point for nations and countries to become humiliated and backward and to experience various sufferings. They should not at all be allowed to benefit from such opportunities inside the country. We have announced that we will not negotiate with the Americans on any issue other than the nuclear issue. We have said to both our officials of foreign affairs and other officials that we do not negotiate with them on any other issue. The reason is that their orientations are the exact opposite of ours. Our policies are 180 degrees different from theirs. This is one part of the issue.
The economic issue
Another issue is the economic issue. Our political issues are one part of the issue, but economic issues are the important part. We have asked our brothers in the administration to prepare a comprehensive and practical plan for implementing the policies on the economy of resistance. We said this in the meeting with the cabinet members and the honorable President and, by Allah's favor, we expect it to be prepared. The economy of resistance cannot be separated into different parts so that we only implement certain parts. It is a whole and a complete package whose parts complete one another. It requires a cohesive practical plan that can implement all its parts.
Of course, our brothers in the administration intend to do so and they will do their best to do this. If this happens, it will not be important to us whether the money that returns to Iran will be, for example, 100 billion dollars or five billion dollars. This will be of secondary importance to us. Of course, we should receive what the world owes us - until today, they have prevented it, in an unfair way, from returning to our country. There is no disagreement about this, but implementing the economy of resistance - which is not at all dependent on such foreign money - is much more significant than this.
The economy of resistance
Everyone should keep themselves prepared. Religious, noble and pious forces throughout the country - that thankfully form the majority of the country - should be ready to work. "Ready to work" does not only mean ready to go to war. It means that they should be ready to do economic, cultural and political tasks and to be present in different arenas.
In our opinion, if we can implement, not just in words, the economy of resistance with a practical plan, things will go the way we want and the people we help us as well. As I said, an active command center should be formed in the administration so that it can specify the responsibilities of every organization. It should specify which economic and non-public organization should carry out tasks. Moreover, it should prepare a timetable so that it becomes clear when the organizations in charge should complete the task. It should also do follow-up so that the task will - by Allah's favor - be carried out and that this great, comprehensive and national movement will be launched.
What I would like to say at the end of my statements is that our religious forces throughout the country should know that the movement is towards Islamic goals and ideals. There is no doubt about this. Everyone should keep themselves prepared. Religious, noble and pious forces throughout the country - that thankfully form the majority of the country - should be ready to work. "Ready to work" does not only mean ready to go to war. It means that they should be ready to do economic, cultural and political tasks and to be present in different arenas. They should be ready. All of us should be ready. Like the enemies - who do not rest day and night - we too should not rest day and night and be prepared in the face of their orientations.
And divine promises are true. The promises that Allah the Exalted makes are true and we should not have any doubt about divine promises. Once, I said here that we should rely on God and that we should not doubt His promises. Allah the Exalted has cursed such people that doubt his promises: "And that He may punish the hypocrites, men and women, and the polytheists men and women, who imagine an evil opinion of Allah. On them is a round of Evil: the Wrath of Allah is on them. He has cursed them and got Hell ready for them and evil is it for a destination" [The Holy Quran, 48: 6].
God has cursed those who imagine an evil opinion of Him. Thinking kindly of God means trusting Him when He says, "If you help the cause of Allah, He will help you" [The Holy Quran, 47: 7]. This is trusting God. When He says, "Allah will certainly aid those who aid His cause" [The Holy Quran, 22: 40] we should believe it. If we truly want to help God's religion - helping the cause of Allah means this - we should know that He will help us and we should not have any doubt about it. When we move forward with this spirit, then the tranquility that we spoke about, will - by Allah's favor - be sent down into our hearts.
Dear God, by the blessedness of Muhammad (s.w.a.) and his household (a.s.), make what we said and heard and what we are doing serve You and Your cause. By the blessedness of Your grace, accept it from us and make the holy heart of the Imam of the Age (a.s.) satisfied and pleased with us.
Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings