We are completely aware of the enemy's plan and we will reveal it to the people. Of course, our dear people know, understand and feel many things. Today, the enemy's plan is comprised of these three elements: economic pressure, psychological pressure and practical pressure. The purpose of these three kinds of pressure is to dominate our dear country – Iran – as they have dominated some poor and ignominious countries in the region.
1. Economic pressure means imposing sanctions and preventing other countries from cooperating with us in economic areas. They are exerting such pressures. Pay careful attention that what they want to achieve from economic pressures and sanctions is not only pressuring the government and the Islamic Republic, rather they foolishly want to make the people of Iran exhausted. They say that they should exhaust the people of Iran so that the Islamic government would be forced to give in to their bullying. This is their goal. They neither know the people nor the Islamic Republic. This is economic pressure and they pursue this goal, but this goal will turn out to be a complete failure by Allah's favor and grace and with the efforts of officials and the people.
2. As for the psychological pressure, this is a very important and noteworthy point. They have targeted the Islamic Republic's strong points – those strong points which are a source of power and strength for the country and the people – introducing them, in their propaganda and encounters with others, as problematic and challenging points with the purpose of making the Iranian nation disappointed at them.
For example, one of these strong points is our nuclear progress. Nuclear progress has been a source of pride for the technology of the country. nuclear progress has been a source of pride for the technology and science of the country. It has revealed the talents of our youth and therefore, it is not a minor achievement. Perhaps, you remember the day when we were in need of 20-percent enriched uranium for medical purposes. Our 20-percent resources were about to run out and we had to get more. How were we supposed to do so? We had to get it from foreign countries – like the US, European countries and the like – but they created all sorts of obstacles ahead of us. They laid down all sorts of terms and conditions for us because they understood that we needed it. When a people vitally need something, they have no choice other than accepting the conditions and impositions of sellers. They wanted to seize the opportunity to lay down all kinds of terms and conditions for us.
The negotiations, talks and meetings lasted for months – perhaps for more than a year – but they would not retreat and they would repeat their demands and expectations. However, the Islamic Republic placed its trust in its youth and it asked them to develop the nuclear issue. Our youth began to work and they managed to produce the 20-percent enriched uranium inside the country, much to their surprise. They did so without having any model from the outside. This shocked them! The issue is like this. The power of our experts, scientists and youth to launch a scientific and technological movement – those scientists and youths are present in the country today as well - made the enemy angry and enraged. Well, this is a very great strong point for the country. It is a source of reputation and credit. In practice too, it helps the country to make progress.
Through their extensive propaganda efforts, they tried to make some people think that this achievement – which is a national strong point – is a problematic issue and a weak point. They said that the nuclear issue of the country is a source of tension and challenge, that it will make the enemy increase his pressures and therefore, it is of no avail. They want to turn this strong point into a problematic and challenging issue so that they can take it away from us. This is one of the things that they are doing. This is a psychological course of action, one which is deep-rooted and important. They want to make a people pessimistic about their great breakthroughs.
Another example is the issue of missiles. Building various missiles and missile power is a source of security in the country. Our youth do not remember the day when Tehran was burning under the fire of the enemy's round-the-clock missile strikes. The houses were collapsing and the people were being killed and this was happening in Tehran, let alone the cities which were involved in the war – Dezful, Ahwaz, Shush and other cities. The enemy's missiles would even reach distant cities, but we did not have any missiles and weapons to defend ourselves. We had to just wait and watch!
Today, our youth have managed to become the first missile power in the region! The enemy knows that if he launches one, he will receive ten [audience chant “Death to America, Death to Israel”]! So, missiles are a source of security and they are a strong point. Notice that the enemy has focused on the issue of missiles and unfortunately, some people inside the country are echoing his words, saying, "What is the use of missiles?"
Another strong point that we have is the issue of the Islamic Republic's pursuit of international justice. This is a source of credit for the Islamic Republic. If the Islamic Republic advocates oppressed nations, this is a source of reputation. If it supports the Palestinian nation, this is a source of credit. The Islamic Republic has strengthened the Resistance forces against the Zionist regime. They created some enemies, some disturbing and detrimental elements – namely DAESH, al-Nusra Front and the like – in Iraq and Syria, but the Islamic Republic supported the Resistance forces in the region. This is pursuit of justice. This is defending the Palestinian nation. This is defending the independence of regional countries. This is defending the territorial integrity of countries and therefore, this is a strong point. However, they are pretending that this strong point is an act of interference by the Islamic Republic. They are introducing it like this. This is our situation with the enemy today.
Their agents inside the country are unfortunately busy as well. One day, they chanted the slogan of "Neither Gaza nor Lebanon" on the streets of Tehran and on the occasion of Quds Day which is the day for defending Palestine. Those who help the enemy's psychological warfare inside the country are bad creatures. They are mean creatures. They are a source of embarrassment.
In the present time too, there are some people who are trying to impose a faulty form of the Bar-Jaam [the JCPOA] on the country. Foreign governments are after this and some people inside the country promote the idea that if this [the Bar-Jaam] does not work, there will be a war. No, this is a lie! This is promoting the interests of the enemy. It is clear what the enemy's goal is. The enemy is trying to make us abandon our strong points and give up our elements of national power so that he can more easily dominate our country, our people, our fate and our future. They have devised such a plot, but the people have stood up against them. This is psychological pressure.
3. As for the practical pressure, I would like to speak a little about this to our dear people throughout the country. Their practical pressure is exerted through causing commotion in the country. This is their definite plan, but they will fail miserably on this one for sure, as this has been the case to this day! The enemy's plan is to take advantage of the people's demands. Some people in a city or an area of the country might have some demands. They gather somewhere, pursuing their demands. For example, they are laborers who pursue their labor demands, or some people in a city pursue their civil demands.
In such cases, the enemy plans to send his infiltrators – in fact, some thugs and malicious individuals who are of course very few in number – inside the country so that they can turn the people's peaceful gatherings into an anti-security and seditious movement with the purpose of staining the name of the country, the people and the Islamic Republic. The people throughout the country should pay attention to this. This is the enemy's plan and we are aware of it. They have devised schemes to that end. Of course, I reckon, I firmly believe – that they are horribly wrong and our dear people will stand up against their schemes in a powerful, courageous and vigilant manner. I advise our dear people to keep preserving their vigilance, as they have done so until today.
Imam Khamenei, Jun 4, 2018