Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in a meeting on Thursday with the chairman and elected members of the fifth Assembly of Experts, described the Assembly as a really great phenomenon. Elucidating the “revolutionary identity and path” of this assembly, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “The only way for the survival and progress of the [Islamic] establishment and materialization of the objectives of the [1979 Islamic] Revolution is ‘real authority in the country’ and ‘great cause’, i.e. defying the enemy.” 

Ayatollah Khamenei thanked Almighty God for the satisfactory holding of the elections for the Assembly of Experts, massive turnout and the formation of the influential and respected Assembly of Experts, adding: “The Assembly of Experts is a divine blessing, which is a great and influential phenomenon even regardless of its tasks [enshrined] in the Constitution.” 

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described the formation of an “elected and nationally reliable” group of scholars and religious and scientific pundits as significant per se, adding: “This prominent and exalted assembly enjoys great potential for the exchange of views, coordination and effective activity.”

Referring to communications between the Assembly of Experts’ scholars and senior members with people from different walks of life across the country and their influence on public opinion, Ayatollah Khamenei added: “This group should not remain idle right before the deadline expires for the fulfillment of tasks stipulated in the Constitution.”   

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution pointed to “consultation about different issues”, “concentration on issues of mutual interest”, “declaration of stance and demands” and “formation of discourse and public demand” as potentialities of the Assembly of Experts, saying: “In case this objective materializes, different branches [of government] and officials and executives will naturally move towards meeting that demand.” 

Stressing that the path and the objectives of the Assembly of Experts must be the same path and objectives as the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “Sovereignty of Islam, freedom, independence, social justice, public welfare, eradication of poverty and ignorance, resistance to the devastating flood of ongoing moral, economic, social and political corruption in the West and steadfastness against the Arrogant Front’s hegemony are among the most important objectives of the Iranian nation’s Islamic Revolution.”   

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said hegemony is incorporated in the very nature of arrogant powers, adding: “In its very essence, the Arrogant Front is seeking to expand its hegemony on the nations and any country and nation that does not resist will be trapped in their snares.”  

Ayatollah Khamenei said Islam was undoubtedly the eliminator of oppression and arrogance, adding: “Of course an Islam that is installed in the form of a ruling establishment and wields tools of military, political, economic, cultural and media power will be able to resist global bullying powers and the hegemony front.” 

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said safeguarding the Revolution is more difficult than creating it. Ayatollah Khamenei also touched on methods of countering the front of global oppressors, saying: “The enemies of the Iranian nation put hard [conventional military] invasion on their agenda from the very beginning; eight-year [Iraqi] imposed war, riots during the early days of the Revolution, supporting terrorist grouplets, attacks on Iran’s oil platforms and downing of [an Iranian] civilian plane are examples of this invasion that ended in the failure of the enemies thanks to God and in light of the divine influence of [the late] Imam Khomeini and the nation’s patience and resistance.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said “soft attack” was another stage of incessant invasions by global bullying powers, adding: “Persistent economic sanctions, continued political attacks, seductive propaganda and targeting the Islamic Republic’s interests in other countries are among methods of the second stage of the enemies’ invasion which has failed to pay off thanks to God and the perseverance of the nation and officials.” 

Ayatollah Khamenei described the third stage of the enemies’ invasion, i.e. “infiltration”, as very dangerous and in continuation of the same soft war, adding: “In its strategy of infiltration, the Arrogance is pursuing several main objectives: ‘influencing decision-making and decision-taking centers’, ‘changing people’s beliefs’ and ‘altering the calculations and positions of officials’.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said targeting the fundamentals and institutions of the Islamic Revolution, including the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), the Guardian Council and young devotees and revolutionary clerics, as common methods pursued by enemies, noting: “The main objective pursued by the enemies in this stage of soft war is to prepare the ground for emptying [from within] the [Islamic] establishment’s domestic elements of power.”

“If this objective is realized and the Islamic Republic is emptied of elements of power, its destruction or fundamentally changing its direction will not be difficult. That is why I reiterate that defying the enemy and resisting its demands amount to the ‘great cause’,” said Ayatollah Khamenei. 

After elucidating the revolutionary path of the Assembly of Experts, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: “Disciplined religious innovations by educated elements who have the power of inference and healing wounds caused by the enemy, including ‘sectarian and tribal division’, ‘factional differences’ and ‘artificial polarizations in the country’ are among other tasks of the Assembly of Experts.”  

Addressing the elected members of the 5th Assembly of Experts, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “Immobility is not authorized. You must always consider seriously the principle of change and progress for the realization of the objectives of Islam and the Revolution.”

The concluding part of the speech by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution was about the general tasks of officials under the present circumstances. 

Ayatollah Khamenei said real empowerment of the country was the only way for the “survival, progress and materialization of the objectives of the Revolution and the nation”, adding: “All officials and organs have tasks on this path that they must fulfill seriously.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said the country’s strength can also even help get concessions from major world powers, adding: “Otherwise, even weak and humiliated governments will bully the Iranian nation.” 

Citing an example of Iran’s getting concession from the enemy in the light of the country’s power, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “Our dear friends say we got concessions in the nuclear talks and the opposite parties recognized Iran’s nuclear industry. Of course this was gained after the materialization of Iran’s power, that is Iran managed to enrich [uranium] at 20% [purity] because everyone knows that in enrichment [process], reaching 20% [purity] is the most difficult phase of the job.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution highlighted “manufacturing of 19,000 first-generation centrifuges”, “running 10,000 centrifuges”, “second, third and fourth generation centrifuge production” and “heavy water production plant” are among other examples of Iran’s nuclear power, saying: “The enemy, which once would not accept even one centrifuge in Iran, had to accept it after facing the country’s nuclear power. In fact, the Americans did not give us such a concession; rather we got it in the light of our own power.” 
“God willing, once the results of the Economy of Resistance become visible and the country’s economy is empowered, the enemy will understand the ineffectiveness of the ploy of sanctions,” said Ayatollah Khamenei. 

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said demanding the materialization of internal elements of power from officials and organs and following up on it were among the capacities of the Assembly of Experts, adding: “This magnificent assembly can be influential upon this process.” 

Ayatollah Khamenei also said piety, courage, insight, timely frankness, having no fear of being reproached by others and maintaining correct and precise knowledge of the enemy front and its mechanisms are among the main criteria of being revolutionary.

“Sometimes, the enemy, following special objectives, does apparently positive work and is welcomed inside Iran. But having understood its real objective, we would not be deceived,” the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said.

Ayatollah Khamenei’s last recommendation to the elected members of the Assembly of Experts was trust in internal soul and watching out for spiritual debacle. “Watch out for your internal fear and debacle; otherwise, you will be defeated when time comes for action,” noted the Leader of the Islamic Revolution. 

At the start of his speech, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution welcomed the new members of the Assembly of Experts, particularly young and lively theologians, and paid tribute to the deceased members particularly Ayatollah Abbas Va’ez Tabasi. 

Prior to Ayatollah Khamenei’s speech, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, the newly-elected chairman of the Assembly of Experts, appreciated the inspiring message of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution for the Assembly of Experts to kick off. He described the atmosphere dominating this assembly as calm and disciplined and referring to the special status of the Assembly of Experts, he said: “This Assembly enjoys standing and acceptance in public opinion.”

Ayatollah Jannati said every one of us must feel compelled to fulfill our obligations in a way to satisfy God and people, noting: “We will pursue the ‘revolutionary approach’ in all [its] aspects.”

Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, the second vice-chairman of the Assembly of Experts, referred to the primary speeches addressed to the first session of the Assembly of Experts, saying: “The necessity of being revolutionary, thinking and acting in a revolutionary manner, stressing the mobility of all organs in implementing the guidelines of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the necessity for everyone, particularly officials, to steer clear of remarks that may create the impression of polarization in the society were among the most important points covered in the speeches by members of the Assembly of Experts.”

“Members of the Assembly of Experts expressed concern and raised demands about the country’s challenges including cultural shortcomings, livelihood and economic problems, youths’ employment, stagnation, smuggling, non-materialization of the Economy of Resistance, non-materialization of Islamic banking, emergence of deviational and extremist thoughts, cyberspace harms as well as problems in border provinces’,” said Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi.