Ayatollah Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, met Sunday noon with the senior commanders of the Armed Forces on the occasion of Norouz. Speaking at the meeting, His Eminence stated that the most important element in the collective identity of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces is enjoying simultaneously an operational and military power, and a spiritual and religious motivation and orientation, further reiterating: “In the Islamic Republic, the most important responsibility of Armed Forces is defending the borders of national security. Therefore, the operational power and spiritual motivation of these forces should be strengthened on a daily basis.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution stressed that there are two kinds of armed forces with two specific identities in most countries in the world: “In some countries, the army is a ceremonial, ornamental and window-dressing force that is without any operational power and whose goal is only to preserve the government and the security of the rulers. There are such armies in our region as well some of which have been attacking Yemen with all their power since a year and a half ago. They have only targeted the people of that country, but they have not managed to achieve anything so far.”
Referring to the second kind of armed forces, His Eminence said: “On the face of it, such armies have great operational and military power, but in the field, they only pursue a complete, irrational and cruel militarism.”
He described the American army in Iraq and Afghanistan as a clear example of an army whose identity is defined by complete militarism, adding: “If such forces fail in the field, they have no scruples about using criminal and professional elements such as “Blackwater” [mercenaries]. The Armed Forces in the Islamic Republic of Iran are the only armed forces in the world that have an ideology, spiritual motives and competence and that work in a country that enjoys political independence.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution added: “In the Islamic Republic, the military is neither ceremonial and ornamental, nor an unbridled, irrational, inconsiderate and purposeless phenomenon.”
Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that the unique identity of the Iranian Armed Forces should always be strengthened. He added: “The Armed Forces do not belong to a specific person or to a specific party, rather they belong to the entire nation and country. They should be the people’s stronghold and the defenders of national and public identity.”
His Eminence stated: “By increasing the operational power of the Armed Forces – which are a combination of organization, equipment, education and logistics- and by improving their spiritual capability which is something beyond religious obligations and recommendations and which exists deep in the hearts of soldiers- the Armed Forces will gain a sense of real power.”
