Srinagar| WTNS | March 21:On the first day of the (Persian) New Year (Nowruz), the Leader of the Islamic Revolution met with thousands of people from various segments of society. He described the Iranian tradition of beginning the year with prayer, seeking intercession, and gathering at sacred places as a sign of the nation’s spiritual perspective on Nowruz. He explained the role of prayer and perseverance in the great victories of the front of truth throughout history, characterising the past year as one of patience, steadfastness, and the manifestation of the Iranian people’s spiritual strength. He wished a blessed year for the entire nation, and he outlined the responsibilities of both the people and the government in realising the year’s slogan, “Investment for Production,” and in improving the country’s economic and living conditions.

Ayatollah Khamenei also referred to the widespread public hatred many nations now hold toward the crimes of the ruthless Zionist regime and described the threatening language against the great Iranian nation as fruitless and bound to fail. He added that the nations and centres of the Resistance Front, among whom are the people of Palestine, Lebanon, and Yemen, stand firm against the corrupt and immoral Zionist regime with inner motivation and faith.

At the commencement of his remarks, he mentioned that the enemy’s attempts to distance people from spirituality had failed. He described these days as belonging to the Commander of the Faithful, the lofty summit of justice, piety, and selflessness. He added that the Iranian nation and other Muslim nations should turn to the Nahj al-Balāghah to draw lessons from Imam Ali (as), the greatest human being after the Prophet (s), emphasising that those active in the cultural sphere should give special attention to studying and teaching this magnificent book.

He regarded the Nights of Qadr as a precious opportunity for supplication and humble turning to the Divine, adding, “Every hour of these nights holds the value of a lifetime, and utilising the intercessory presence of the Imams in devotion, along with the prayers of the people, especially the youth, can change their own destinies and even the destiny of a nation.”

The Leader of the Revolution cited Qur’anic verses to affirm the certainty of prayer being answered and of its efficacy in both this world and the hereafter. He added, “That is, of course, provided that we have not placed a barrier to the acceptance of our prayers ourselves.”

The Leader of the Revolution described the way the prophets confronted hardships as seeking intercession, supplicating, and maintaining steadfastness. And added, “The Lord conditioned the answer to the prayer of Prophet Moses on perseverance, patience, and hope. In the end, the Children of Israel, who had been enduring constant torment at the hands of the people of Pharaoh and had been paying a heavy price, witnessed the downfall of their oppressors with their own eyes.”

Ayatollah Khamenei spoke about the relentless costs borne by the front of truth in its struggle against the front of falsehood. He said, “We must view the events of the year 1403 (approximately 2024) with the understanding that in the struggle between truth and falsehood, victory most certainly belongs to the side of truth.” However, this path requires sacrifice, just as this divine principle was manifest during the Sacred Defence as well”.

He pointed to the loss of great Iranian and Lebanese figures in the events of the past year, attributing the defeat of their enemies, especially the corrupt, wicked and vile Zionist regime, to their ability to endure these bitter events with “steadfastness and seeking help from the Almighty”. He said, “During the challenging year of 2024, the nation’s spiritual strength, patience, courage, and valour were manifested with striking brilliance.”

Ayatollah Khamenei described the epic farewell to the body of Martyr Raisi, the remarkable turnout at the Friday prayer in Nasr despite enemy threats, the highly motivated participation in the presidential election, and the deeply meaningful funeral of Martyr Haniyeh and other commanders martyred in attacks by the Zionist regime as manifestations of the nation’s power and spiritual strength. He added that the historic February 11th (22 Bahman) rally was the pinnacle of this momentum, showcasing the Iranian people’s loyalty to the Islamic Revolution and their affection for the Islamic Republic to all the arrogant powers and hypocrites of the world, making the Iranian nation known on the global stage.

He also emphasised the importance of recognising the character and identity of the nation within the country itself. He added, “Economic difficulties and hardships in living can overwhelm any people with despair and discouragement, yet despite all these difficulties, the strong and noble Iranian nation stepped forward over the past year and stood in defence of the Islamic system.”

The Leader of the Revolution also referred to the Tabas mine disaster, in which over 50 miners lost their lives, as one of the bitter tragedies of 2024. Regarding the people’s efforts in the fields of development, reconstruction, and progress, he said, “The people and economic actors have not fallen short in this regard, and in just the past few months, numerous small and large-scale projects have been inaugurated; however, this effort must continue and expand further.”

Ayatollah Khamenei explained the reason for the repeated emphasis on production in the slogans of recent years by highlighting the fundamental impact of production on improving the country’s economic conditions and the people’s livelihood. He elaborated on the responsibilities of the people and the three branches of government, especially the administration, in realising the slogan of the new year, which is “Investment for Production.”

He criticised those who, upon hearing that production requires investment, immediately take that to mean foreign investment. He said, “What we mean is domestic investment, directing the liquidity available to the people toward production, which unfortunately is mainly spent on buying coins, foreign currency, and land today, thus creating problems.”

The Leader of the Revolution regarded all forms of investment in production, whether large or small, as beneficial and necessary. He said, “Everyone, if they have limited funds and resources, should establish small-scale production, and major economic actors should invest their assets in productive ventures.”

Ayatollah Khamenei described paving the way and facilitating people’s investment as the most important duty of the government in fulfilling the year’s slogan. He added, “Investment requires the guarantee of security, and all three branches of government must be fully active and serious in this regard.”

Referring to extremes in the matter of oversight, he said, “Sometimes there is no trace of supervisory forces, whether from institutions, the administration, or the judiciary and at other times, they are so strict that practically no work gets done.” Ayatollah Khamenei identified the stability of laws and regulations and streamlining the process of issuing business permits as two other essential steps for realising the year’s slogan and stated, “The administration must act swiftly in fulfilling these responsibilities.”

The Leader of the Revolution identified preventing the importation of goods similar to those domestically produced and announcing avenues for public investment through official statements and economic actors as two additional necessary measures. He stated, “The country’s officials are determined to improve the people’s livelihood, but this goal cannot be achieved through supportive measures alone; it requires foundational work, and investment is one of its key pillars.”

In another part of his speech, he addressed several points regarding recent statements by American officials.

Ayatollah Khamenei emphasised that the Americans must understand that in dealing with Iran, they will never achieve anything through threats and said, “They, and others as well, should know that if they commit any act of malice against the Iranian nation, they will be dealt a harsh blow”.

He also made another point about American and European politicians characterising the centres of the Resistance as the proxy forces of Iran. He said that this was a grave mistake and an insult to these groups. He added, “What does the word ‘proxy’ even mean? The people of Yemen and the resistance centres in the region have their own inner motivation for standing up to the Zionists. The Islamic Republic of Iran does not need a proxy, and our position—as well as theirs, is well known.”

The Leader of the Revolution described the steadfastness and resistance against the malice and oppression of the Zionist regime as deeply rooted in the region. He said, “At the beginning of the occupation of Palestine, among the countries that stood against this oppression was Yemen, whose ruler at the time opposed the occupation of Palestine at an international gathering”.

Ayatollah Khamenei also pointed to the growing protests against the crimes of the ruthless Zionist regime among non-Muslim nations, including public and student demonstrations in the United States and European countries. He said, “Western governments do not want to acknowledge these realities or understand the positions of their own peoples. Therefore, they resort to actions like cutting university funding when students protest in support of Palestine instead. This, of course, is another reflection of their hollow claims regarding freedom of information, liberalism, and human rights.”

Emphasising international opposition to the malice of the Zionist regime and their resistance against it in every possible form, he added, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has also firmly stood against these acts of malice and has clearly and consistently declared its position and approach; that it supports the Palestinian and Lebanese fighters who are defending their own countries”.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution once again responded to the threats of Iran’s adversaries, saying, “We have never initiated conflicts or confrontations with anyone, but if someone maliciously starts a confrontation with us, they should know that they will be struck with harsh blows.