Three Categories of Victims in the Unrest
Referring to recent disturbances, the Leader divided the victims into three groups:
Security Defenders: Police, Basij, and IRGC forces who lost their lives protecting the country's peace. The Leader described them as "among the best of martyrs."
Innocent Bystanders: People who were on their way home or to work when they unintentionally found themselves among the rioters and were killed. Ayatollah Khamenei stressed they are also martyrs because they died in a sedition created by the enemy.
The Deceived: Those who joined the rioters due to naivety, inexperience, or anger. "They are also our children," the Leader said. "Some of them regretted it and wrote letters to me. The authorities did the right thing by considering the deceased among this group as martyrs."
He emphasized: "Except for the ringleaders and those who took money and weapons from the enemy, the rest are our children, and we ask for God's mercy and forgiveness for them all."
Recent Unrest: A Planned Coup
Explaining the dimensions of recent disturbances Ayatollah Khamenei stated: "What happened was not the movement and riot of some angry youth, but a planned coup that was crushed under the feet of the Iranian nation."
He added: "The intelligence agencies of America and the Zionist regime, with the help of some other countries, had recruited vicious individuals long ago and trained them abroad, providing them with money and weapons to enter the field at the right opportunity. That opportunity came in december-January."
Response to U.S. Threats
In reaction to the U.S. President's threatening remarks about America's military power, Ayatollah Khamenei said: "The U.S. President keeps saying that our army is the strongest army in the world. The strongest army in the world may sometimes receive such a slap that it cannot get up."
Referring to the deployment of American warships to the region, he added: "He says we sent a warship towards Iran. Very well, a warship is indeed a dangerous thing, but more dangerous than a warship is the weapon that can send this warship to the bottom of the sea."
Referring to the U.S. President's acknowledgment of America's inability to destroy the Islamic Republic over the past 47 years, the Leader emphasized: "This is a good confession. I tell you that you will not be able to do such a thing either, because the Islamic Republic is not a government separate from the people, but relies on a living, steadfast, and strong nation."
Nuclear Issue and Negotiation
Regarding U.S. interference in Iran's nuclear matters, Ayatollah Khamenei stated: "The Americans illogically say you should not have this type of missile or that range, while these matters concern the Iranian nation and have nothing to do with them."
About the negotiaiton, he added: "They say let's negotiate about nuclear energy, but the result of the negotiation should be that you don't have nuclear energy! If negotiations are to take place, determining their outcome in advance is a wrong and foolish thing to do."
America's Future
The Leader described America's numerous problems as signs of its decline and stated: "America's issue with us is that it wants to swallow Iran, but the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic prevent them from achieving their goal."The Leader framed America's problems as signs of decline, stating that America's desire to "swallow Iran" is thwarted by the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic.
Referring to the scandals revealed in America, he added: "Everything we had heard about Western leaders' corruption is on one side, and the infamous island case is on another side. This is just one example of their massive corruption; more cases will be revealed later."
Hossein Amiri - Mahboubeh Habibi
