Enemies Foment Insecurity to Hinder Iran’s Progress

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the recent unrest in the country was a plot by the enemies to impede Iran’s progress toward a thoroughgoing power. 
“They don’t want development to take place in the country and have designed plans to stop this movement,” he said during a joint graduation ceremony of armed forces’ cadets in Tehran on Monday, Leader.ir reported.
He stressed that the riots and insecurity were schemes by the United States and the Zionist regime with the help of their hired hands and certain Iranian traitors abroad. 
The Iranian nation, however, stood strong against such plots and will continue to do so, according to the Leader. 
“In the future too, wherever the enemies plan to cause disturbance, the ones who will resist the most will be the brave and faithful people of Iran.” 
Protests began in different cities of Iran in late September over the death of a young girl in police custody, but gradually turned into violent action targeting the Islamic Republic. 
The Leader said violent reaction to this incident, which was no proven guilt, was not normal. 
“The riots were pre-planned … if it wasn’t this girl, they would have found a different excuse,” he said. 
While the heads of the three branches of power have expressed regret about the unfortunate event and have vowed to investigate the case to find out if there was a fault, it is not reasonable to accuse an organization, he noted.  
 “This approach has no origin but espionage agencies and hostile foreign policymakers.” 
The Leader also said turbulence happens frequently worldwide, including in Europe, but US officials never speak in support of rioters. 
“Such support has happened in Iran time and again,” he said. 
Ayatollah Khamenei said Americans are not sorry for the death of a girl, but are happy to have found a pretext to provoke unrest in Iran. 
“The dispute is not over the death of a young girl or over hijab … but it is over the independence, resistance, strength and power of the Islamic Iran,” he said. 
The US is not just opposed to the Islamic Republic, according to the Leader, but it is opposed to a strong and independent Iran. 

Big Miscalculation 

Pointing to certain separatist movements among ethnic groups in the northwest and southeast of the country, the Leader said the enemies have made a big miscalculation in this regard. 
“Baluchs are deeply loyal to the Islamic Republic and Kurds are among the most advanced Iranian ethnic groups who love their home country, Islam and the Islamic Republic, so their schemes won’t work,” he said. 
The Leader pointed to those who cause disturbance on the streets, saying they cannot all be treated the same. 
A group of them are young people and adolescents who are stirred up to take to the streets and can be convinced about their mistake with some minor punishment, he said. 
Another group are the remaining members of groups that have been cast out by the Islamic Republic, such as Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization terror group, separatists and monarchists, according to Ayatollah Khamenei.   
These people must be put on trial and receive punishment by the judiciary in proportion to their level of participation in the destructions and threats to security of the cities. 
The Leader downplayed the role of certain famous figures who took a position about recent developments, saying they should not be treated with sensitivity. 
“Those few people’s positions have no value,” he said, adding, however, that it is up to the judiciary to decide whether their comments and reactions are criminal. 
Ayatollah Khamenei later highlighted the additional importance of reinforcing Iran’s armed forces given such hostility by countries like the US.
“Military authorities must increase the country’s defense capabilities,” he said. 
He also said any assault to the armed forces, including the police, would target people’s security and leave the public defenseless against criminals. 
The Leader finally described the country’s domestically created security as a great privilege. 
“Our security is completely rooted inside the country and does not rely on others,” he said.