Unrest Aimed to Sap Iran’s Strengths

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said those behind the recent unrest in Iran did not aim to overcome the country’s weaknesses, but to undermine its strengths. 
“Some pretended that those in the riots were opposing management and economic shortcomings, while it was the other way around,” he said in a meeting with a group people from the city of Qom on Monday, Leader.ir reported. 
Targeting strengths such as national security, hindering scientific progress by causing the shut-down of education centers, impeding domestic production and holding back sectors that were booming such as tourism were among the efforts of the rioters, he explained. 
“Without a doubt, such acts are treason and related organizations deal with treason seriously and fairly,” he said. 
Iranian cities have seen unrest following the death of a young girl in police custody in September, which later turned into clashes between rioters and security forces, claiming the lives of 200 people, according to Iranian sources. 
Tehran blames the West for provoking violence and orchestrating terrorist acts to destabilize the country and pursue their political agenda. 
The Leader once again highlighted the obvious role of foreign enemies in the recent developments, particularly the undeniable role of the United States and Europe. 
Immediately dismissing foreign enemies’ interference and putting the blame on the governance is not right, he stressed. 
“The most important instrument of the enemy in these disturbances was propaganda and provocation through cyberspace and western, Arab and Hebrew media,” he said. 
Ayatollah Khamenei called for precise narration of the truth by different people and with innovative methods as a remedy to the enemy’s propaganda. 
“The way to counter stimulative propaganda that influences the youth and adolescents’ minds is not the baton, but clarification enlightenment,” he said. 

Attainable Objective 

The Leader later said the victory of the Islamic Revolution (1979) and the rescue of Iran from the overwhelming dominance of the US were reasons behind hostility against the Islamic Republic. 
He cited a classified document that has mentioned an order of the then US president for toppling the Islamic Republic only 10 months after its establishment. 
The Americans have tried to hit the Islamic Republic over 43 years through different means including threats, sanctions, espionage, infiltration, maximum pressure, creating anti-Iran unions, and promoting anti-Iran, anti-Islam and anti-Shia movements, according Ayatollah Khamenei. 
“On top of all these efforts, were attempts to hit the Islamic Republic through propaganda.” 
He said the enemy has not accomplished its sinister purpose and the Islamic Republic, with its strong roots both inside and in the region, is not comparable with its first day. 
“But those efforts did hit the country and we could have been further ahead of the current point,” he added. 
Ayatollah Khamenei said concentration on the eight-year war with Iraq (1980-88), as well as efforts to counter pressure and sanctions, have slowed down the country’s progress, while that force could have been used completely for construction, development and eradication of poverty. 
Most recently, western countries have introduced new sanctions against Iran on the grounds of what they call a “violent crackdown on peaceful protesters.”
Compensation for the past slowness that has been caused by hostilities is, however, possible, according to the Leader. 
The nature of the Islamic Revolution was a great transformation which pushed the country through narrow straits, but further along this course, there is a need for great works and a big change, he said. 
“This innovative transformation is possible and attainable thanks to the existence of hardworking authorities and youth in universities and other sectors.”