I have received letters from some captives of war[Saddam's war against Iran][...] via their families. When the families learned that the letters were addressed to me, they brought the letters to us. I replied to many of these letters. They wrote to us saying that we shouldn't bribe the enemy for their freedom; the captives wrote this. This is extremely important for a nation that the ones confined by the enemy write to their government saying they want to be freed with dignity; instead of acting like non-believers, repeatedly beseeching us for doing something so they are let free. They wrote to us saying they didn’t want us to be humiliated before the enemy for their freedom. We have had these cases, which are part of the documents of our national honour and will be protected forever.
The same was true on the side of the families and the nation. Though the parents, mothers, wives and children were suffering, they never created problems for the officials and they never pressured them. They knew the officials were working hard so that the captives will be freed with dignity and honour; what Almighty God assisted us in realizing. This was also God’s will. Whatever progress we achieve is God’s willpower and want. We do little [without Him]. Of course, our brothers in the administration worked hard; but God’s grace and the divine willpower paved the ground and made this happen. It was God’s will, and the future will be the same.
Imam Khamenei, August 26, 1990