In this ceremony, Ayatollah Khamenei described the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also known as IRGC, as a dignified body at home and abroad and asserted: Today, the IRGC is dignified both inside and outside the country, thanks be to God. The enemies have contributed to creating this dignity. With their violent, aggressive and hostile behavior, the U.S. increased the dignity of the IRGC. The enemies of God show hostility to God’s servants, and this hostility makes God’s servants more reputable and estimable.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces urged the IRGC cadets and officials to expand capabilities and make the best out of their potentials, and asserted: A permanent lesson before the eyes of the IRGC is the Quranic verse: “Mobilize your (defensive) force as much as you can to terrify the enemies of God and your own enemies [the Quran; 8:60].”. Investigate to find out what you need in all military and intelligence arenas.
Reminding his audience of the dependence and backwardness Iran’s army of the Pahlavi era suffered from, Ayatollah Khamenei maintained: During the tyrannical Pahlavi regime, we were dependent, backward, and unknowledgeable in terms of military equipment. The military equipment of the IRGC must be advanced and up to date; you should invent and manufacture them yourselves."
The Supreme Leader described the annual massive Arbaeen walk held in Iraq as a powerful media, adding that: Arbaeen has been as significant as it is today. The first Arbaeen pilgrimage was the powerful media of Ashura. Those forty days were the days when the logic of Truth reigned among the dark world of the Umayyad’s and Bani Sufyanis. Ahlulbait [the progeny of the Prophet] created a catalyst through a forty-day movement. Today, too, Arbaeen walk is a stentorian call and an unprecedented media in the complex and propagandized world. It is unprecedented in the world to see a huge crowd move toward that source [Imam Hussain's Shrine]. You rightly said that Hussain (a.s.) brings us together. This movement should increasingly expand and deepen.
Ayatollah Khamenei further elaborated on the movement the Islamic Revolution has launched as inspired by Imam Hussain (a.s.) and asserted: We have made great strides since the beginning of the Revolution; there are many shortcomings and difficulties, but the movement which has taken place to this date is amazing. What is the direction of this movement to continue? Imam Hussain has specified the direction of it.
His Eminence went on to say: Imam Hussain (a.s.) said: “O' people! The Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) said, Whoever sees a tyrannical ruler– who regards what God has forbidden (haram) lawful (halal), breaks the covenant of God, opposes the tradition of the Prophet of God and commits sins and invasive behavior among the people– and he/she does not rise up with words and actions against this ruler, it is the right of God to take him/her where He takes that ruler; (Tabari history, v.4, p.304)."
