- Separating people from the establishment: an objective of the sanctions against Iran
One of their(U.S. govt's) purposes for imposing sanctions is to separate the people from the Islamic Republic. They want the people to have problems. They want the country to suffer from unemployment, recession and various economic problems[...] They impose sanctions so that these things happen. And when they seemingly lift sanctions, they do so in a way that these problems will not be eliminated.
What should we do in return? Our antidote is that we should do something to make the economy strong, resistant and stable. This is the same economy of resistance which we have spoken about many times. This is another element of power for our country. The currency of a country that has a strong economy is valuable; Its officials are valuable as well and its people are honoured. Under such circumstances, no one can impose anything on them.
- Iran's scientific advances made during sanctions are a great opportunity
Another opportunity is the scientific achievements that have been made during the time of sanctions. Sometimes powers, governments, different sources of wealth and international resources come to a people's help and sometimes, they shut all doors to them. Nevertheless, these people accomplish great feats in different areas. Today, you can witness such feats whose importance should not be played down. Phase 12 of South Pars - which was inaugurated by the President a few days ago - is a very great and complex industrial project which can stimulate the economic growth of the country and develop the products of the public effort of the country in a tangible way. We have many such achievements.
As you witnessed, during the military exercise of our Armed Forces, certain types of equipment was introduced which astonished the enemies. And they expressed their astonishment. We did not assume their astonishment; They themselves acknowledged that. Well, all these feats were accomplished while we were under sanctions. This is not a minor achievement but a great opportunity. Our innovative youth made these achievements during years when we were under consecutive sanctions - that is to say, during the years 2010 to 2013 when these so-called crippling sanctions cast their shadow over our country. This is a very great opportunity for the country. Therefore, sanctions are an opportunity as well.
- Sanctions are left as the enemies' only tool against the Iranian nation
Sanctions are the only tool left for the enemy. They should know this. The only tool that the enemy uses to confront the people of Iran is imposing 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 effect of sanctions.
Sanctions have been the most difficult problem but they have also brought about certain blessings for us. Sanctions showed us that we should rely on ourselves. They proved to us that we can benefit from our 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 progressing.
The enemy is making maximum use of sanctions and their goal is to humiliate the people of Iran. Their goal is to stop the great movement that could only be launched by the people of Iran. They want to stop the movement of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic. They want to stop our movement towards the new Islamic civilization because they know that this movement is completely against the interests of Zionist investors and oppressive and blood-sucking companies. They understand this and they see how this movement is developing in the world and how it attracts nations. This is why they want to stop it. Their sanctions, threats and unreasonable terms and conditions are because of this.
I believe that even if we accept what they dictate to us on the nuclear issue, their destructive moves and sanctions will not be stopped and lifted. They will continue to create all sorts of problems for us because they are opposed to the essence of the Revolution.
- Silent sanctions since the victory of the Revolution
Even before nuclear issues arise, our enemies began to make efforts. It is only 10, 12 years that nuclear issues have arisen and their plans began before that - that is to say, in the years 1988, 1989. Those individuals who are well-informed know that the plans of westerners and mainly the U.S. were based on circumventing and going around Iran. They wanted to go around Iran on the issue of transferring gas and oil pipelines. They wanted to go around Iran in major passages in the air, on land and in the sea. They wanted to go around Iran in the area of communications networks. This was a kind of imposing sanctions in a quiet and secret way. They wanted to do something to frighten all parties of any important activity that Iran wanted to do. These are events that have taken place in our country.
Those individuals who make extravagant claims and who do not have enough information should not say that no one has hatched any plot. This is not the case. Many efforts have been made. The enemy formulated a plan in this regard and it has implemented it step by step until today. What you witness today is the outcome of the domestic movement of the country and the enmity of the enemies. The enemy should not be forgotten. In the area of the economy, he did planning in the real sense of the word. In some areas, he entered the area in an outspoken way and in some areas, he entered the arena secretly. But well-informed individuals were aware of his activities and they knew what he was doing. Who is the enemy? The enemy is America and a few European countries which follow America. These plans are not related to the present time.
- The Iranian nation can also impose sanctions
The people of Iran can impose sanctions as well. I need to say that if someone is supposed to impose sanctions, it is the people of Iran. They will impose sanctions on them in the future. The most gas supplies in the world belong to us. It belongs to the people of Iran. Gas is a very important and effective energy and the world needs it. Poor Europe needs gas as well and it belongs to us. Iran has the most gas supplies in the world at the present time - this is based on current extractions. If we consider oil and gas together, the Islamic Republic of Iran has the most gas and oil supplies. We will impose sanctions on them in the right time and the Islamic Republic can do this.
The people of Iran and the Islamic Republic have shown that their determination is firm. Whenever the Islamic Republic of Iran addressed an issue - in any area - in a serious way, it showed that its determination is firm and strong and that it can work.
- Sanctions built up Iran's scientific muscles
The Islamic Revolution changed the trend. Some other factors such as the sanctions that were imposed by the West against our country after the victory of our revolution have also proved beneficial to us. I remember in the early years of the Iraqi aggression against our country, we needed barbed wire and purchased it from a foreign country. The consignment had to pass through the former Soviet Union in order to reach our country. Since the former Soviet Union supported Iraq in the war, Soviet officials did not allow the consignment to pass through their country! Barbed wire was not a weapon like cannons or tanks. Still, it was withheld from us.
As a result of these sanctions, we are now among the first 10 countries in the world in the field of anti-armor technology. In the area of uranium enrichment, we are among the first 10 or 11 countries in the world that possess this technology. Our nuclear technology is domestic. We are different from those countries that received the technology from the former Soviet Union because they were in the Communist camp. Even China received considerable technological assistance from the former Soviet Union over the first 10 years after its revolution, when the two countries were not at odds yet. However, no country has ever extended any technological assistance to us. We have developed whatever we have ourselves.
Before the revolution, I remember our country bought wheat from the United States, and silos for storing wheat were built in our country by the engineers from the former Soviet Union. In the early years after the revolution, during a visit to the southern part of the country, I noticed that the Construction Jihad engineers and technicians had built a small silo there. I knelt to pray to the Almighty on the spot. Building a silo is not so easy since it has a complicated structure. Today, we are one of the major silo-builders in the world. We have built large silos in many other countries. Thus, we have benefited from the sanctions that were imposed by the West against our country[...]
Some consider economic sanctions as a disaster, saying it would devastate our technology. Yes, it will possibly take the even road ahead, but going through a well-paved road is not always beneficial. Sometimes, the roads that a man has built by himself to move through them, are more useful for building up strong muscles; or they might make shortcuts. The well-paved even road that others have built, will lead us to where the builders of the road desire. If we want to build a road, sometimes we might want to make a shortcut.
We see our deviance in the past state of being spellbound [by reliance on foreign developments]. Today we are no longer in that state. One of the great services of the Islamic Revolution, as I mentioned earlier, in the areas of science and technology, is that it helped us believe that we can do it. Today we hold this belief: we surely can do it. We have made significant progress in imitating, manufacturing similar products and new technology models.
We are on the verge of the 40th anniversary of the victory of the Revolution. Forty years is not a long time. In the history of a nation, 40 years is not long, rather it is short. During these 40 years, our people made many endeavors. They really walked on hard rocks. Since the first year – almost since the first day – we were under sanctions. These sanctions have continued in different ways and they have increased in number as well. Everything that has happened – all these improvements – has happened during the time of sanctions. We were under sanctions and we made these achievements. This shows the capability of the Revolution and the Iranian nation.
- Iranian nation won't stand sanctions, nuclear restrictions
I would like to raise a few points about it. One can infer from the statements of some European governments that they expect the people of Iran to both endure and wrestle with sanctions, and to give up their nuclear activities – which are a vital need for the future of the country – and to continue the restrictions that they have imposed on them.
I say to these governments that they should know that this strange dream of theirs will not come true! The people and government of Iran will not endure the sanctions and the nuclear restrictions and confinement. This will not happen.
- Iran's scientific growth despite sanctions, an exemplar for the Muslim World
The world of Islam should try to help its youth move forward in the area of science because this is possible. We have done this here. We have improved our scientific ranking to a great extent. We have done all these things during the time of sanctions. It has been many years now that we have been under sanctions by transgressing powers. Sanctions helped us to blossom, to think of ourselves, and to benefit from our own resources. Today we are on the borders of scientific breakthroughs in important fields, while in the past, we were behind to a great extent. In medical sciences, in nanotechnology, in stem cell, in nuclear science and in many other scientific fields our youth have managed to blossom: to work and to achieve great feats. In the present time, educated and scientific young adults are greater, in number, compared to many other countries around the planet. Therefore, this is possible. One of the tasks that should definitely be pursued in Islamic countries is the issue of scientific progress. We should help one another in this area as well. Some other Islamic countries, too, have fortunately accomplished great achievements in this aspect.
