Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has said in a meeting with thousands of people from the central Iranian province of Isfahan on Wednesday that Isfahan is a province of “martyrdom and pioneering people,” “resistance and steadfastness,” “science and culture,” “religion and Velayat (religious guardianship),” and “work and initiative.” Emphasizing that the Islamic Republic of Iran passes no judgment on the presidential election in the United States and has always seen hostility from the two dominant US political parties, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “Today, the most important needs of the country [Iran], especially for the elites and officials are ‘political insight and not neglecting the enemy’s plots’, ‘maintaining revolutionary spirit and orientation’, ‘[taking] action and practical steps in the field of the Economy of Resistance’, ‘accelerated continuation of [Iran's] scientific growth’, ‘national unity and solidarity’, and ‘maintaining spiritual and internal strength’.

During the meeting, which was held on the anniversary of the epic funeral held by the people of Isfahan on November 16, 1982 for 370 martyrs of Operation Moharram, which was staged during the eight-year Iraqi-imposed war against Iran, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution pointed to the spirit of “martyrdom seeking” and “resistance” as the most important characteristics of people of Isfahan province. Emphasizing the need to know the enemy’s plot at any juncture and avoiding submission in the face of the enemy, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "Standing fast on the principles of the Islamic Revolution is one of the important things we need today, and the principles of the revolution are the same fundaments and indices, which have been laid out in [the late] Imam [Khomeini]’s speeches and his last will and testament."
Once again recommending the young people to study the speeches and the last will and testament of the Imam as a roadmap for the movement of the Islamic establishment, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution pointed out, “That Imam who shocked the world, has been materialized in these speeches and his last will and testament and the Imam cannot be interpreted in any way contrary to what he really was.”
The Leader noted that the sole way for the resolution of the country’s problems, making up for all cases of backwardness, and achieving material, spiritual, ethical and cultural dignity and welfare and progress is standing fast on the principles of the Islamic Revolution and said, “From a scientific viewpoint, serious attention and actions are also needed to [bolster] the country's internal strength, especially in the economic sector.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said, “The enemy has zeroed in on [Iran's] economy because it imagines that economy is the [main] weakness of the country and for this reason, emphasis has been put [in Iran] on the ‘Economy of Resistance, action and practical steps’, and officials must demonstrate ‘action and practical steps’ and their indices before the people’s eyes.”
Ayatollah Khamenei described “political insight” as another special requirement, particularly among the Iranian elites, and stressed, “Absence of insight will cause one to be attracted to those things, which actually lack attraction, just in the same way that some people are attracted to America while this attraction is false.”
The Leader then focused on issues that have been raised about the problems and the realities that exist inside the American society, especially during the recent presidential election, and said, “The person, who has been elected as the president of America, said during his election campaign that if the money they have spent on war during these past years had been used inside America, they could have built the country anew; do those people, who are attracted to that imaginary point, understand the meaning of this?”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution referred to statements made during the United States’ election campaigns about the existence of widespread destruction, poverty and problems in this country and pointed out, “During recent years, [the government of] America has spent the money of this country’s people on dishonorable wars whose results have been massacre of tens of thousands of civilians and devastation of infrastructure in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen.”
Ayatollah Khamenei then noted that the realities that were laid bare through election campaigns in America had been frequently talked about during past years, but some people did not want to accept them. The Leader then added, “The [real] meaning of insight is to know with whom you are faced and how he thinks about you and [also know] that if you close your eyes, you will be certainly dealt a blow.”
Stressing that political and nonpolitical elites are expected to have such insight, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said, “Fortunately, ordinary people do have this insight, but it is surprising that some elites, who rely on illusions, do not have it.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution then pointed to the results of the recent presidential election in the United States and noted, “We pass no judgment on this election, because America is the same America and during the past 37 years, any one of these two [Republican and Democratic] parties have been in power, they have had no benefit [for Iran] and their mischief has been permanently directed toward the Iranian nation.”

Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized, “Despite some people across the world, who have been grieving over the results of America’s election, or some other people, who are happy, we neither grieve, nor are happy [over US election results], because it makes no difference to us and we have no concern and with God’s Grace, we are also ready to face any possible eventuality.”
The Leader said, “The issue on which we must now concentrate is the way out of the current and future problems of the country, and the sole way [to achieve this goal] is to preserve and promote internal strength of the [Islamic] establishment.”
Stressing the fact that with the realization of political, economic and cultural strengths [of the country] as well as spiritual and psychological strengths of the elites and senior officials no danger would be threatening the country, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said, “The Iranian nation, especially the youths, must continue this blessed growth of the revolutionary spirit, because the main problem of the country is not some discussions and clamors and controversies, but is preservation of the revolutionary spirit and orientation.”
Ayatollah Khamenei then stated that from a scientific viewpoint, the Economy of Resistance, scientific progress of the country as well as the domestic unity and solidarity were necessary, adding, “Various tests are, in fact, good grounds for the recognition of weaknesses and removing them and turning them into strengths.”
Remembering the track records of the people of Isfahan in successfully passing various tests, the Leader pointed to November 16, 1982, which marks the “anniversary of glorious and historic funeral held for about 370 martyrs of Operation Moharram in the city of Isfahan,” and said, “That unforgettable funeral is indicative of the [high] spiritual capacity, [as well as] laudable strength and resistance of the people of Isfahan, because on the very day of the funeral of the martyrs, many young people in Isfahan stood in line to be sent to the war front.”
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution described reducing the importance and sending into oblivion of prominent and honor-inspiring points in the history of the Islamic Revolution as one of the main goals of the enemies’ onslaught and said, “The epic and enthusiastic move by the people of Isfahan must never be forgotten.”
The Leader described Isfahan as the city of “science, religion, Velayat, work and initiative, art and culture, and martyrdom” and noted, “The people of Isfahan have been pioneers and vanguards in making sacrifices for the country and the religion of God, and such great and renowned martyrs as Ayatollah [Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini] Beheshti, [as well as former Islamic Revolution Guards Corps commanders like Mohammad Ebrahim] Hemmat, [Hossein] Kharrazi, [Ahmad] Kazemi and [Mostafa] Raddanipour have arisen from this region every one of whom lights the path [ahead] of this nation like a shining torch.”
Ayatollah Khamenei also enumerated “generosity in giving up their property on the path of God and for the public good,” and “saving in ordinary and personal life” as other good and exemplary characteristics of the people of Isfahan.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution then pointed to the ongoing Arba’een march and while describing it as a valuable asset, added, “This huge and millions-strong move between [the holy Iraqi cities of] Najaf and Karbala and this enthusiasm and movement, even if accompanied with some risk, is always alive in the hearts of our people and youths and this asset must be preserved, because it guarantees the country's survival.”
Ayatollah Khamenei concluded his remarks by emphasizing that, “The future of the country will be much better than its present and with God’s Grace and thanks to the blessings of Islam and the revolution, the Iranian nation will overcome all problems and make headway.”
Before the remarks by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei's representatives and the Friday Prayers leader of the city of Isfahan commemorated the anniversary of the funeral held for 370 martyrs of Operation Moharram on November 16, 1982 and said, “The resistant and faithful people of Isfahan follow the religion of Islam and are ready with all they have to serve the Islamic Revolution.”
Pointing to the potentialities of Isfahan province in the fields of economy and industry, he added, “The people of Isfahan have taken many steps toward the realization of the Economy of Resistance and this province is capable of turning into a role model in this regard.”