As the Islamic Republic enters its fifth decade, Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has set out a series of guidelines to help the country make further progress, including weaning the economy off its reliance on oil revenues and exercising vigilance in dealing with the West.
In a seven-point statement published on Wednesday, the Leader said a weak economy makes the country vulnerable and paves the way for “foreign interference” in national affairs, his website reported.
"Iran is facing challenges from both within and outside the country," he said, adding that mismanagement and sanctions are among the main factors undermining the economy.
“Some of the most important issues that need to be addressed are economic reliance on oil, failure to privatize parts of the economy that do not fall within the scope of the government’s authority, looking toward outside rather than looking at domestic potential, not utilizing the potential of the country’s workforce, flawed budget planning, unstable economic policies, ignoring the priorities that have been determined and unnecessary expenses in some state bodies,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The statement said these problems have resulted in youth unemployment and poverty, which call for strong measures to fix them.
The Leader ruled out a US-Iranian dialogue, saying, “With regard to America, no problem can be resolved, and negotiations with it will only cause economic and spiritual loss”
Ayatollah Khamenei said some people are under the false impression that all economic problems are rooted in sanctions and the Islamic Republic should succumb to the enemies’ excessive demands if it wants the economic pressure to ease.
According to the Leader, the best path forward is to follow the blueprint for “Resistance Economy”, which emphasizes the promotion of domestic products and reducing dependence on imports.
He also said more efforts are required to tackle financial corruption, which hampers economic progress.
Foreign Relations
On Iran’s international relations, Ayatollah Khamenei stated that the Islamic Republic should adhere to its values and principles when interacting with other countries and be cautious about potential plots hatched by hostile powers.
“Today, in addition to the United States, the Iranian nation regards some European countries as deceitful and untrustworthy,” he said, adding that Tehran should not give in to their threats or fall for their tricks.
He did not mention any European country by name.
The Leader said any negotiations to settle “solvable issues” with other governments should be held from the position of strength while considering national interests.
Once again ruling out a US-Iranian dialogue, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “No problem can be resolved vis-à-vis the US and negotiations with it will only lead to economic and spiritual losses.”
Tensions between Tehran and Washington—which severed diplomatic ties since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that ousted the US-backed monarchical regime—have risen significantly since last May, when US President Donald Trump withdrew from an international nuclear deal with Iran and reimposed US sanctions that had been lifted under the 2015 accord.z
