Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, in a meeting on Monday with the commanders and a group of staff of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Air Force and the Air Defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army, referred to the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution (marked on February 11 or Bahman 22 on the Persian calendar), and the forthcoming general elections on February 26 (for the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the Assembly of Experts) as two substantive feasts for the Iranian nation.

Reiterating the need for massive and enemy-crushing presence of people in the annual Bahman 22 demonstrations to mark the anniversary of the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “People’s massive presence in the Esfand 7 (February 26) elections, like fresh blood, will guarantee the dignity and might of Iran and the [Islamic Republic’s] establishment and will neutralize the objectives of the deceitful and cunning enemy.”   

Heaping praise on people for their massive presence in the annual Bahman 22 demonstrations, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: “The presence of people in the Bahman 22 rallies over the past 37 years has been a physical presence along with willpower and determination and affection and support, and this year, with God’s Grace, people’s presence in the streets will be eye-catching, enemy-crushing and disheartening for ill-wishers.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said the annual Bahman 22 demonstrations are the joyful repetition of the Islamic Revolution feast, and while stressing that such a lasting popular ceremony is unique in the world, added: “Since the victory of the Islamic Revolution up to the present time, under any circumstances, including harsh weather conditions and in the midst of problems, people have always attended the feast of the [Islamic] Revolution on Bahman 22.”

“Most of those who have taken part in the [annual] demonstration [of the Revolution] in recent years had not experienced the days of the Revolution and Bahman 22, 1357 (February 11, 1979, the day when the Islamic Revolution became victorious) due to their [young] age, but this never-ending chain [of demonstrations] proves the [nation’s] power to recreate the Revolution,” said Ayatollah Khamenei.

Noting that the memory of this huge event should not be allowed to slip into oblivion, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: “The truth about the Revolution must always remain alive in the minds of people, because the Islamic Revolution is just halfway through [toward achieving its goals] and it needs its main goals to be kept alive in order to strengthen its pillars and achieve its lofty goals.”

Ayatollah Khamenei mentioned establishment of an Islamic society endowed with science, justice, ethics, dignity and progress as the main goals of the Islamic establishment in Iran, noting: “The fundamental goal of the enemy front is to make these lofty goals be forgotten, and finally [to cause] a change in the behavior and ‘internal transformation of the Islamic Republic’s establishment’.”

Stressing that the main goal of the enemy is to “change the revolutionary nature and identity of the Islamic Republic’s establishment,” the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: “All efforts of the extended front of ill-wishers of the Islamic establishment aim to prevent the Islamic Republic from continuing to move towards dignifying and power-boosting goals and to restore the foreigners’ dominance on the country.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said waging hard war against Iran under the present circumstances is unlikely but not impossible, noting: “Today, the main plan for confronting the Islamic establishment is [waging] soft war to strip Iran’s establishment and people of the elements of power.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution added that stripping a nation of the elements of power would mean its submissiveness, adding: “If a nation is weakened, no hard war would be needed any longer to confront it.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said: “The only way to prevent such a horrendous situation is to protect and safeguard revolutionary thought in ‘practice and behavior and [in] orientations and regulations and law’.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution described elections as injection of fresh blood and life and a new spirit into the nation and country, adding: “By exercising its natural right, the nation enters the arena at the right time in order to make decisions about which one of the officials whom they have previously elected should stay or leave [their posts].”

Ayatollah Khamenei also described elections as “refreshment of the nation and [pledging] fresh allegiance to the goals of the Revolution,” adding: “My insistence on everybody’s presence in elections is because public participation dignifies and insures the country and the establishment, [and] therefore participation in this huge event is an obligation for all people.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said creating of schism and false and dangerous polarization between the nation and the Islamic establishment has always been one of the goals of the enemy front, led by the United States, noting: “The presence of the nation in elections and a renewed manifestation of strong bonds between people and the establishment will mean victory of the Islamic Republic and the failure of these enemy goals, and this presence, based on the true divine promise, will lead to victory and assistance of Almighty.”  

Pointing out all the enemy’s moves and conspiracies since the very victory of the Islamic Revolution, including a scheme to disintegrate Iran, the plot to stage a coup, eight years of imposed war with Iraq and daily growing sanctions, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “In the face of all these conspiracies, the nation rushed to the Islamic establishment’s help and Almighty turned the Islamic Republic and the Iranian nation into a regional power and, with regard to some cases, into an effective and influential global power through His reciprocal assistance.”

Wrapping up this part of his speech, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution addressed the Iranian nation, emphasizing: “The dignity and honor and authority of the homeland and the nation are tied to fulfillment of revolutionary duties, which taking part in elections is among the most significant of these duties.”

Continuing his speech on elections, Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted some wrong and inappropriate remarks that disturb people and make them skeptic, adding: “Such remarks are made only with a political motivation and due to alienation from divine motives, but for the moment, I have no intention to discuss them any further.”

On the issue of elections, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution addressed a number of important points to officials, the most significant of which was warning them against getting preoccupied with propaganda and media issues.

“With Almighty’s assistance, officials are working and making efforts, but they must be careful not to be preoccupied with everyday election-related hype, so that they would forget to deal with important issues, particularly the economy,” added the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.

Ayatollah Khamenei said election is an issue of utmost importance, but noted: “Despite all its importance, this issue is ephemeral and what would remain after a few weeks is the country’s basic issues, including making the economy resistant [to outside influences].”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution once again referred to the huge potential of educated and motivated manpower, climatic characteristics as well as natural resources and reserves in Iran, telling officials: “By relying on these unique assets, make the country’s economy so resistant that the enemy would think twice about [exerting] economic pressures to impose its demands [on Iran].”

“By directing [the country’s] assets towards industrial and agricultural production, prosperity of production and resolving the problem of stagnation, officials must accelerate the country’s progress to make the enemy understand that sanctions are useless,” added the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.

Recalling his remarks over the “past 10 to 12 years” regarding the necessity of making the economy internally resistant, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “If this goal is realized, appropriate solutions will be also found for creating jobs for the youth, unemployment and other economic woes.”

In another important point, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution underlined the necessity of paying full and constant attention to plots and goals of the vast enemy front, noting: “Those who neglect their enemies and pin hopes on them will never win people’s praise.”

“The enemy smiles, [and] you smile as well, but one must watch out for the ruse that is hidden behind the enemy’s smile,” said Ayatollah Khamenei.

Ayatollah Khamenei said: “Enemy’s plots with regard to such issues as security, [people’s] livelihood, culture, the youth, social maladies and other issues must be understood and, in order to counter them, policymaking, [and] legislative [steps must be taken] and [other necessary] measures [must] be [also] taken and discussions must be held.”  

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution cited famous Persian poet, Sa’di of Shiraz, saying: “When the enemy disguises himself as friend, he can do things under that disguise that no enemy can.”

Recalling the impudence and treachery of the enemy, Ayatollah Khamenei advised officials to be doubly vigilant, saying: “Americans refuse to answer the simplest question [posed] by the world public opinion about their support for the perpetrators of [ongoing] savage crimes in Yemen, and outrageously continue to support those who are committing the most ruthless form of state terrorism in killing the innocent people of Yemen.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution scoffed at the Americans’ claim to be advocating human rights and democracy, saying: “They are supporting the child-killing Zionist regime and their regional allies, who know nothing about elections and do not understand elections at all.”

“The American administration is so shameless that it commits the most savage actions and then smiles to you. Should we not be totally careful in the face of such an enemy?” asked the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.

Wrapping up this part of his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei said: “Thanks to Almighty’s support, the nation has been and is aware of the enemy and the nation’s huge movement has so far defused the conspiracies of this cunning and deceitful enemy and will continue to humiliate it after this.”

At the start of his speech, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said pledging allegiance to the late leader of the Islamic Revolution Imam Khomeini by the Air Force on February 8, 1979 was an important and influential phenomenon and a guiding star in the history of the Islamic Revolution, adding, “On Bahman 19 (February 8) [1979], the Air Force changed the country’s equations by joining the people and this move was responded immediately by the people and this shows that ‘being with people’ will entail [earning] people’s support.”

Ayatollah Khamenei assessed as really good the performance of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force over the past 37 years, saying: “Today, the Air Force is a strong, powerful and innovative body standing by the people, and this strength and power and capability and [close] relations with people must be enhanced day by day.”

At the start of this meeting, Brigadier General Hassan Shah-Safi, commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force, commemorated the anniversary of Bahman 19, dubbed the “Air Force Day,” and explained about the Air Force’s measures in the defense, scientific and cultural sectors.

“Having understood the new regional order and within framework of the Islamic Republic of Iran's defense strategy, the Air Force pursues goals notified to it with double strength and motivation,” the general said.