Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Monday that support for domestic products and industries is an effective way to win the economic war waged by Iran's enemies.
"Support for Iranian products is one of the best and most effective methods to foil the enemies' economic plots," he said in a meeting with thousands of workers, employers and entrepreneurs in Tehran ahead of Labor Day, which is commemorated on Tuesday.
The Leader has called the new Iranian year, which began on March 21, the year of "Support for Iranian Products" to help make the economy more self-reliant and immune to foreign pressures.
Ayatollah Khamenei told the gathering that hostile powers have concentrated their efforts on economic and cultural warfare because they have realized that they will suffer if they engage in a military confrontation with Iran, his official website reported.
"The era of hit-and-run [attacks] is over, and they know that if they get involved in a military conflict with Iran, they will be hit multiple times."
Inward-Looking Policy
Acceleration of national production will help resolve many of the people's livelihood problems, including unemployment that has deleterious social effects on society, the Leader said, calling on the public and authorities to use and help promote home-made goods.
He added that officials should utilize national resources more efficiently, saying, "I do not believe in cutting ties with the world, but relying on those outside the borders is completely wrong."
"We have to interact with the world vigilantly, wisely and seriously, but at the same time, we should remember that the world is not limited to the United States and a number of European countries. The world is big, and we should have relations with a wide variety of countries."
Exhibition
On Sunday evening, the Leader visited an exhibition held in the capital featuring domestically made products in different sectors, including pharmaceuticals, electronics, healthcare, stationery, clothing, food, cosmetics, automotive, construction and home appliances.
"Despite all the pressures, sanctions and hardships imposed by arrogant powers, the domestic products displayed in the exhibition were outstanding and excellent," he noted.
Ayatollah Khamenei called on the country's authorities to take meaningful steps toward removing the obstacles in the way of economic growth, such as issues related to banking services, insurance and tax.
He cited unnecessary imports and smuggling as other major concerns of local manufacturers, investors and laborers, which need to be addressed.
US Provoking Saudis
In his speech, the Leader also said the US intends to provoke Saudi Arabia and other regional countries to confront the Islamic Republic because it wants them to pay the price for any military face-off with Iran.
"The Americans have been attempting to incite the Saudis and certain regional countries to confront the Islamic Republic. But if they have wisdom, they should not be deceived by the United States."
