Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei called on the armed forces to develop their capabilities and increase readiness to effectively deter any hostile move.
“The armed forces should speed up their advances and step up their preparedness to create such a power that the enemy would not even dare dream of aggression [against Iran],” the Leader said in a meeting with military commanders in the northern city of Noshahr on Thursday.
To this end, the great potential of universities and research centers should be tapped, he said.
“There exists very good potential in the country’s universities and research centers, and the armed forces should strengthen connections with such bodies,” the Leader’s official website quoted him as saying.
Ayatollah Khamenei also emphasized the importance of stepping into unknown military domains and encouraging new innovations before turning to military drills, saying, “Military exercises must be designed in a way that would be closely similar to conditions of war and realities in the battlefield, and all the potential and capabilities of the enemy should be considered.”
He referred to hostility toward the “independent and awe-inspiring” movement of the Iranian people, saying, “The enemy seeks to make the Islamic establishment surrender, and by retreating in the face of the enemy, hostilities will not go away.”
“The emergence of an independent nation, which is opposed to bullies and their affiliates, cannot be tolerated by the hegemonic system, and that’s why they show enmity toward this nation, and it would be erroneous to think that if we refrain from saying certain things or taking certain steps and show leniency toward the enemy, hostilities will decrease,” he stated.
Pointing to the support of other countries for Iran’s “independent movement”, the Leader said, “Other peoples are delighted to see the progress of the Iranian people and their outright defense of their interests against [hegemonic] powers.”
“And during overseas trips of the Islamic Republic’s officials, other nations have shown great enthusiasm, whenever their governments have allowed them to express their interest in Iran.”
