Our enemies openly say that their purpose of exerting economic pressure is political. Their purpose is to pit the people of Iran against the Islamic Republic [the audience shouts "Death to America!"]. You are right: "Death to America.” This is because America is the main element in exerting these pressures. They, themselves, insist on focusing their efforts on the economy of our dear people. What is their purpose? Their purpose is to turn the people against the system. They [the enemies] explicitly say that they want to exert economic pressures on the people of Iran so the people are forced to make complaints against the administration and the Islamic Republic due to their experience of difficult conditions. —They say this openly.
Of course, they [e.g. USA] falsely claim that they support the people of Iran: these lies cannot be believed. We should not believe the lies of the enemy. Their goal is a political one. They want to destroy — using our own people —the security that exists in our country today. Iran’s security is unique to West Asia—where we are located. No country to the east, west, north or south of Iran enjoys the security that protects our country and our people. But the enemy sets out to make the Iranian people, themselves, destroy it. They want to encourage them to turn against the Islamic Republic.
The enemies are provoking our people [to take anti-gov. measures]: they are planning and working on it; they are pursuing this method in a serious way. Well, these are important circumstances. This is a great challenge. When such a challenge exists in Iran, all forces should join hands, work together, and adopt a serious outlook on the economy.
I would like to raise a few points regarding the economy. The first point is that, today, the arena of the economy is surrounded by battle and war — of a particular kind — because of the hostile polices of America. In this arena of battle, anyone who can make efforts to the advantage of the country has carried out jihad. Today, anyone who can help the economy of the country has made a jihadi move. —This is a jihad, of course, one that has its own tools and methods. Everyone should carry out this jihad with their own methods and weapons. That is the first point I wanted to make.
The second point is that there are two fundamental outlooks towards the economy of our country. I seriously request that experts, youth, and the masses of our dear people pay attention to these two outlooks towards economic development and progress. One outlook says that we should make economic progress with the help of domestic capacities and domestic forces. There are many capacities in the country which are either untapped or not used in the proper way: we should utilize these capacities. This means we must develop the economy from the inside out. This is an economy which obtains its resources and ingredients from inside the country, from the capacities of the country and from the capabilities of the people. This is just one outlook which implies that in order to achieve economic progress, we should look at and utilize domestic resources, talents, and capacities. And this method, if applied, is how the economy will grow: this is one outlook.
The second outlook towards the economy of the country relies on foreigners for economic progress. It suggests that we should change our foreign policy so that the economy will progress. It suggests that we should get along with some arrogant government, and we should tolerate the imposition of arrogant powers in different areas and on different matters, so that the economy can further develop. —This is the second outlook. Today, the conditions of the country have shown us that the second outlook is completely erroneous, infertile, and useless.
The sanctions that are imposed on the people of Iran, in the present time, are a firm and clear proof that the second outlook is a mistake. When you pin your hopes on foreign powers so that they can develop your economy, and when you develop it by giving in to foreigners, they will not be satisfied so easily. When you rely on the outside, you will be faced with the issue of reduction in the price of oil. All of a sudden, arrogant powers and their regional cohorts come to the conclusion that they should slice the price of oil in half or reduce it drastically: you [Iranians] will be faced with such a problem: when we pin our hopes on the outside, this is what will happen. But when you look at the inside, this will not be the case. Today, foreigners and the heads of arrogant powers want to strengthen the second outlook in our people.
I saw the message that the American president addressed to the people of Iran on the occasion of Norouz. In this message, he says that we should accept what they say. In fact, the essence of what he says is that we should accept what they dictate to us, claiming that there will be job opportunities in our country, that capital will flow in Iran, and that economic activities will flourish. This perspective is the same as the second outlook: it is one that will never produce results.
We should look inside our own country because the domestic capacities are many. The Economy of Resistance, that we introduced and was welcomed by all experts and economic specialists--I did not see one single economic or social expert reject the economy of resistance--focuses the domestic resources of the country. When they do not allow you to water your land from the outside, you have to dig a well in your own yard to water it; therefore, you will not have to beg some stingy neighbor for water. We should rely on ourselves, and we should be able to move tasks forward on our own. —This is the second point I wanted to make.
The third point is that we cannot move forward without defining our goals. This is possible neither in the area of the economy nor in any other area. We should define our goals. If executive officials move forward without defining goals, things will be done in a habitual way, and there will be no results. There should be clear and well-defined goals, and the administration should gather all organizations and forces in order to achieve them. In my opinion, the goal of the economy
this year and in the coming years should be to invest in domestic production. Everyone should focus all their efforts on strengthening domestic production. All those officials who are working in the area of the economy and all other people should be asked to help with domestic production.
There are certain ways for doing helping with domestic production, some of which I referred to. One of the most necessary tasks is to support small and middle-sized production companies; another task is to strengthen the activities of knowledge-based companies. The reason why we highlight science and technology is not only to achieve a higher scientific rank: progress of science and technology helps the progress of the economy. Knowledge-based companies can help the national economy. Another necessary task is to reduce the sale of our crude products.
Recently, I brought up the problem of our economy’s dependence on oil in one of my speeches: this issue relates to my subject now. We must come up with a way to reduce or stop the sale of crude oil gradually. We should bring about value added. Banks can play a role in this regard. They can play both a constructive or a destructive role. Other fundamental tasks are facilitating investment, reducing the imports of consumer goods and combating smugglers. Executive officials must carry out different tasks; these [discussed requests] are some of the tasks that they can carry out.
Of course, all the mentioned tasks are difficult to accomplish. It is easy to say such things, but they are very difficult in practice. However, executive officials should definitely work towards carrying out these difficult tasks, this is crucial. The people can help and play an important role as well. Those people who have the capability to invest should focus their investment on economical production. They should invest in domestic production. Consumers too—actually, all our people are consumers—should consume domestic products. I have stressed this issue so many times, but I would like to stress it today as well. Everyone must try to consume as many domestic products as possible. Everyone should support Iranian workers, and they should help production companies and factories by investing in their products.
Another issue concerns the avoidance of extravagance. Those who lead an extravagant lifestyle should know that living an extravagant, lavish, and wasteful life—which has been vehemently condemned in Islam—determines the fate of the national economy. If we avoid extravagance and wastefulness in our personal lives —for example, the way we use water, bread, and the way we spend in formal occasions such as aqd, weddings, and other such ceremonies—this will help the national economy. Merchants and those who are involved in trade outside the country can play a role as well. Their role is to act properly and honestly so that the dignity of the people of Iran is preserved. This explains my third point.
The fourth point about the economy is that sanctions are the only tool left for the enemy: they know this. The only tool that the enemy uses to confront the people of Iran is the imposition of sanctions. If we act properly and wisely, sanctions can be counteracted. As I said, establishing production and industrial companies—fortunately today, governmental organizations are establishing these companies—is a task that can counteract sanctions. An example is the Phase 12 of South Pars—which I referred to earlier—military achievements, science and technology parks, and other such tasks. This can minimize and then completely counter the effects of sanctions.
Sanctions have been the most difficult challenge, but they have also brought about certain blessings for us. Sanctions showed us that we can rely on ourselves. They proved to us that we can benefit from our own domestic forces. If executive officials, all the people, and economic activists, in particular, show diligence and work hard, and if national media offer their assistance--I will address this issue later on—we will see that sanctions will not be able to prevent the people of Iran from making progress.
Now, I would like to raise a point about the nuclear issue. Of course, there are other points regarding economic matters, but I do not want to prolong this discussion. I would like to say a few things about nuclear issues. First, our enemies—who form the opposite front against the people of Iran and who are mostly American—are moving forward with acumen and by formulating policies of deception: we are completely aware of this. The enemy knows what they are doing: they need the nuclear negotiations: America needs the nuclear negotiations. The differences that exist among the Americans—between senators and executive officials—does not mean that they do not need the negotiations. This is not the case. The opposite side of the U.S. administration does not want the benefits that are available, in these negotiations, to be registered in the name of its rival: the Democratic Party. They [Republican party] reject any positive move by their rival. So, they need these negotiations, and they consider it to be absolutely necessary, although they claim that they do not need to negotiate.
Unfortunately, in the Norouz message that the American president [Obama] delivered, there were dishonest statements. Despite the fact that they claim to be the friends of the people of Iran, we can clearly see that these statements are dishonest. One of the statements that he made was, “there are some people in Iran who do not want the nuclear issue to be resolved in a diplomatic way.” This is what he said. He [Barack Obama] said that there are some people in Iran who do not want the nuclear issue to be resolved through diplomacy: this is a lie. There is not one person in Iran who does not want the nuclear issue to be resolved through negotiations. What the people of Iran do not want is to accept America's imposition and aggression: this is what they do not want. What the people of Iran resist is accepting the other side's bullying tactics. The other side says that we should negotiate with it and accept whatever it wants. The people of Iran have stood up against their bullying. Neither our officials, nor our negotiating team, nor the people of Iran—who have stood behind them—will accept bullies.
The second point in regards to our ongoing negotiations with European governments and the USA on the nuclear issue is that we only negotiate with USA on the nuclear issue, not on any other issue: everyone should know this by now. We do not negotiate with America on regional issues [M.E. Issues]. America's goals in the region are the exact opposite of our goals. We want security and peace in the region. We want the rule of people over their own countries. America's policy in the region is to create insecurity. Take a look at Egypt, Libya and Syria. Arrogant governments—headed by America—have begun a counterattack against an Islamic Awakening which has been created by Middle Eastern nations. This counterattack is continuing to this day, and it is gradually creating a disastrous situation for these nations. This is their [USA’s] goal which is the exact opposite of ours. We do not at all negotiate with America on regional issues, nor on domestic issues, nor on the issue of weapons. Our negotiations with the Americans are confined to the nuclear issue only and on how we can reach an agreement through diplomacy.
The third point in regards to the JCPOA is about what the Americans say. They, repeatedly, say that they will sign an agreement with Iran and that they will lift sanctions only if the Iranians adhere to it: this is an unacceptable statement, and we do not agree with it. Lifting sanctions is one of the terms of the negotiations, not a result of it. Those who are involved in the negotiations clearly understand the difference between these two. They say, "We will sign an agreement first. Then, we look at their behavior and lift sanctions if they adhere to it.” This is an other American ploy; we do not agree to it. As our officials and honorable President explicitly said, lifting sanctions should be done without any delay and during the reaching of an agreement. Lifting sanctions is one of the terms of the agreement, not a result of it.
There is another point: the Americans keep repeating that Iran should not be able to renege on the decisions that it makes and the terms that it agrees with; we do not agree with this either. If the other side wants to re-impose sanctions using any excuse, there is no reason for our negotiating team to go along with it or does something whereby they cannot decide to cancel or revoke: we do not agree with the US on this at all. Nuclear energy is a popular and domestic industry; it belongs to the people: its science and technology belong to the people, and they should move forward with it. Progress is the essence of any industry and technology.
They [USA] bring up the issue of a nuclear bomb. They, themselves, know that we are not after building a nuclear weapon, but they have used it as an excuse to exert pressures on the people of Iran. During the nuclear negotiations, we have fulfilled all international commitments. We have been committed to political-Islamic ethics in these negotiations, and we did not break our promises. We did not speak in two different ways. We did not act in a hypocritically. The Americans formed the opposite camp against us. It is they who went back on their promises and acted in a hypocritical and deceitful way. Their behavior is a lesson for our people. It will be good for those intellectuals in the country who still do not know who the other side —America— is to take a look at these negotiations and see who they are dealing with. They should see what America is doing at the global level.
The threats that they issue are of no use. They threaten to impose more sanctions or to make military moves against Iran. These are threats which do not intimidate the people of Iran. The people of Iran have stood firm, and, by Allah's favor, they will emerge victorious out of this great test. Of course, it is only divine blessings that can help our people succeed on this path.
