During the ceremony, Imam Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, described the recent imposed war as a manifestation of the will and strength of the Islamic Republic and a striking display of the extraordinary solidity of its foundations. Emphasizing that the main reason behind the enemies’ hostility is their opposition to the Iranian nation’s faith, knowledge, and unity, he stated: “The Iranian nation, by God’s grace, will neither abandon strengthening its religious faith, nor expanding its diverse fields of knowledge, and much to the enemy’s dismay, will succeed in elevating Iran to the peak of progress and the pinnacle of honor.”
Expressing his condolences once again to the families of the fallen commanders, scientists, and beloved people martyred in the recent war, Imam Khamenei stated: “What happened for the Islamic Republic during these 12 days – in addition to the great honors achieved by the Iranian nation, which even people throughout the world are acknowledging today – was that the people of Iran showed their power, their determination and resolve, their steadfastness, and their ability to the world. They now saw the power of the Islamic Republic from up close.”
He also considered the clear manifestation of the Islamic Republic’s unparalleled strength as one of the key outcomes of the recent imposed war, adding: “These events weren’t something that hadn’t been experienced by the Islamic Republic before. For more than 45 years, in addition to the 8-year Imposed War, there have been seditions, inciting weak-willed individuals against the nation, and various other plots; military, political, security-related plots, as well as coups and other similar actions. The Islamic Republic has overcome all of these.”
Imam Khamenei emphasized that the Islamic Republic is built upon two fundamental pillars: faith and knowledge. He stated: “The people’s religiosity and the knowledge of our youth have been able to force the enemy to retreat in many different fields, and this will continue to be the same in the future.” He identified the root cause of Global Arrogance’s hostility — led by the criminal US — toward the Islamic Republic as the Iranian nation’s faith, knowledge, and unity under the banner of the Quran and Islam, stating: “All their talk about nuclear issues, [uranium] enrichment, human rights, and such things are nothing but excuses. What upsets them is the fact that the Islamic Republic is able to produce new ideas in the various fields of science and knowledge – be it in the humanities, technical sciences, or religious sciences.”
Reaffirming that the Iranian nation will never forsake its faith or knowledge, Imam Khamenei added: “We will take great strides in strengthening our religious faith and in expanding and deepening our diverse and wide-ranging fields of knowledge. And much to the enemy’s dismay, we will, by God’s grace, succeed in elevating Iran to the peak of progress and the pinnacle of honor.”
The ceremony also featured Qur’anic recitations by several reciters, and Hujjat al-Islam Rafiei delivered remarks referencing Sermon 182 of Nahj al-Balagha, drawing parallels between the qualities of the martyrs of the Battle of Siffin and those martyred in the recent imposed war.
