Leader Calls on Armed Forces to Increase Readiness Constantly

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei called on the Armed Forces to keep increasing preparedness in every area at all times since threats will never be eliminated completely. 
Speaking to a number of commanders and top officials of the Armed Forces on Sunday, he stressed that constant readiness is a source of fear and a deterrent for the enemies of the nation, Leader.ir reported.
Ayatollah Khamenei described the Armed Forces as strong forts for the country and the nation, expressing satisfaction with their continual progress. 
“Do not be content with any level of strength and progress and move forward without stopping,” the Commander-in-Chief of Iran’s Armed Forces told the military officials. 
It is absolutely essential to be alert about the designers of incidents in the backstage, rather than the rhetoric or possible measures of impotent elements, according to the Leader. 
“One must not focus attention on such rhetoric and action, but must see the main players behind the scenes,” he said. 
Highlighting the warmongering of wicked international forces across the world, the Leader said arrogant powers provoke conflicts from behind the scenes wherever there is a benefit for them. 

Long-Term Plots

Ayatollah Khamenei also advised the Armed Forces to concentrate on and investigate the enemies’ long-term plans. 
“Scrutinizing the enemies’ five or ten-year schemes is good and necessary, but it is also essential to keep their midterm and long-term plots under watch,” he said. 
He pointed to the United States’ two wars in the east and west of Iran as an example of such long-term plans. 
“Americans had interests in Iraq and Afghanistan, but their ultimate goal was the Islamic Iran,” he said, adding that they failed in achieving this purpose thanks to the immense strength of the Islamic Revolution. 
“Therefore, the enemy, with all its apparently accurate calculations and military power, can face defeat.” 
The US invaded Afghanistan in 2001 and toppled the Taliban from power, but had to withdraw its forces 20 years later, handing the country over the insurgents again. 
In 2003, Washington also led a coalition who attacked Iraq under the pretext of disarming the country of weapons of mass destruction. US troops eventually quit Iraq in 2011 completely. 
The Zionist regime’s current status is also another example of such defeat, according to the Leader. 
While Israel’s previous measures against Palestinians did not see any special reaction by the world community, its crimes are condemned this year even by western peoples, he explained. 
Brutal assaults against prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque, that killed and injured a group of Muslims, has intensified tensions between Israel and resistance forces, resulting in an exchange of rocket strikes. 
Israel is also facing weekly domestic protests for months against the government’s contentious judicial overhaul plans.
While holding the belief that the enemy is not invincible, it is also important to avoid becoming oblivious of its plans, the Leader said. 
“At no stage should one become oblivious to the tricks and plots of enemies.”
Ayatollah Khamenei finally urged the Armed Forces’ think tanks to constantly work on devising innovative strategies and developing strong, wise and helpful policies. 
Before the Leader’s speech, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri presented a report of the military’s plans and measures in different sectors.