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In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

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والحمدلله ربّ العالمين والصّلاة والسّلام علي سيّدنا محمّد و آله الطّاهرين

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Meeting with you, dear youths, in this ceremony is a sweet and hope-inspiring meeting;

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it is always like this and every year it is felt that through the divine assistance,

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the totality of students at military academies affiliated to various branches of the [Iranian] Army,

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have made more spiritual and material advances.

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This is a cause of intense delight for me and is in the real sense of the word, good tidings.

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I have said time and again that you young people are the real wealth of the country;

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at any place that you are, you are a [future] reserve for [ensuring] the dignity of the country, and survival and independence of the country, and progress of the country.

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Of course, some sectors are of more importance, including the sector [that pertains to] maintaining security of the country, the task that is your responsibility.

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You young people of the Armed Forces shoulder one of the most important and biggest responsibilities in the country.

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Those [of you] who were awarded epaulettes today and those of you who received [military] ranks today, have in fact

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started long strides on a path, which is indeed a path teeming with honors; [it is] the path of maintaining the security and dignity of the country.

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[The fact] that I say security is one of the most important sectors [in the country] is because

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the progress of any other sector depends on security.

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If there is no security, there would be no scientific progress, [and] no industrial and economic progress either.

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If there is no security, there would not be calm and confidence and spiritual serenity among people.

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In insecure conditions, big aspirations and brilliant ideals are forgotten in people’s minds;

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[because in those conditions] everybody [only] thinks about maintaining security of their own lives.

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[On the opposite,] when there is security in the country, then it would provide a ground [and] a bedrock for the growth of all the elements of a country’s growth

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and [all] the elements of a country’s progress; you shoulder such an [important] responsibility.

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Security is important in various fields. Since, at the present time,

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one of the basic issues in the country is the issue of economy and people’s livelihood,

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let me tell you that [even] the [country’s] economy needs security [in order to thrive]. [This means that] the country’s economy must be founded on a secure foundation.

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Our problem, our historical problem, [and] the problem that has been handed down to us from [the past] monarchical eras

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is dependence of our economy on oil. This [dependence] has caused us

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to have serious concerns about security at all junctures [of our history, especially] with regard to economic matters;

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[our concerns have existed every time that] the price of oil falls [or] increases, [Iran's] oil sales are banned, transport of oil becomes problematic, [or] that given oil customer has not given our money.

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When everything in the economy revolves around oil, that economy becomes insecure;

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[therefore,] the economy must become secure as well. I brought up this issue here because although a military environment is not an economic environment,

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[I said this, so that,] the importance of security for all sectors [of the country] will be made clear,

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even with regard to the issue of economy, which on the surface, has nothing to do with what a soldier does and [what members of] the Army and the IRGC [Islamic Revolution Guards Corps] do.

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Dear youths! Know your value, know the value of your country as well,

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know the value of your security as well, [and] also know the value of the Islamic Republic establishment,

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which has brought this tranquility, [and] this honor to this country.

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This very country, this very geography, [and] this very dear Iran – which you rightly

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whispered and repeated this beautiful ballad about Iran– with this very historical past,

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[and] with these very elements of endless potential was once downtrodden by American and Zionist

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and British advisors and the likes of these and was a flunkey [to them].

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this nation, this country, this shining history, [and] these gushing and surging potentialities were turned into a state of subordination

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By dependent, mean, weak [and] underling rulers

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Islam came and saved the country; the Islamic Republic came and made Iran dignified, [and] made Iran mighty.

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My dear ones, [and] our intelligent and talented youths!

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Today, the [main] fight that the [global] arrogance has with us is about ‘why your power has engulfed the region’.

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This is [a clear sign of] the Islamic Republic’s might. That thing, which from our viewpoint is an element of [our] national might, is a troublesome factor from the viewpoint of our enemies and they fight against it.

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They oppose development of the Islamic Republic’s might among nations in the region and beyond the region,

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because it is a cause of might [for the entire region], [and] because it is strategic depth of the country.

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They are [also] against the country’s defense power and the country’s military power;

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[and in short, our] enemies oppose anything that is a means of power and an element of national might [of the country].

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What is [the best] way to counter [enemies’ efforts]? The youth! [Just] think [about it]. The [best] way to counter the enemy

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is that we rely on our own elements of might to the opposite and in spite of its will.

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We have [already] announced, [and] we announce once again that the country’s defense capability and defense power is not up for negotiation and bargaining.

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[Do they expect us to allow them to] come and bargain [with us about] ‘why you have that given defense tool’? ‘Why you have that [specific] sort [of defense tool]’? ‘Why you are producing it’? ‘[And] why you do research [on defense tools]’?

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[We], about those things, which increase or provide or support national might [of our country];

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have no bargaining [and] no deal with the enemy we tread the path toward [increasing] the country’s might and [doing] this is incumbent upon you.

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Dear youths! The future of the country belongs to you. The youth of the past have fulfilled their duty.

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[About] 30 or 35 years ago, in this very university, they likened it to the “Feiziyeh [seminary school] of the Army;” it is true;

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this place is [really] like the Feiziyeh of the Army. This is a place, which has seen many of its professors and students and commanders and managers martyred [during the Iraqi imposed war].

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During the period of the Sacred Defense, students of this university, quite voluntarily

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and while they were [still] students, insisted on going and fighting in the arena of the Sacred Defense; the Army [officials] did not take them [to the war fronts, because]

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it was against the regulations of the Army, [but] a number of this university’s students went [to war fronts] voluntarily, [and] fought in that section [of the war],

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which is known as the guerrilla warfare.

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This ceremony has been held in this place for many years – [and indeed] for scores of years; people like you,

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once received their epaulettes or [military] ranks in this place and, praise be to God, attained high positions in the Army; this is among honors of this university.

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[Therefore,] get yourselves prepared; the country belongs to you; [and] you must take the country to the climax of dignity under the aegis of Islam

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and inspired by the huge Islamic Revolution. The Islamic Republic is in charge and responsible for [fulfilling] such an important duty

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and you are, praise be to God, working under the Islamic Republic establishment. I ask the Almighty God to make you [more] successful on a daily basis.

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I thank your commanders, teachers and those who endeavor and work [to train you].

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I also thank those people who prepared the beautiful and meaningful arrangement of this arena.

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Peace be unto you and so may the mercy of Allah and His blessings