Leader of Islamic Ummah Imam Ali Khamenei: Iran will defeat economic war, but it is not enough – Video

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the enemy is waging an “economic war” on Iran, but the country will defeat it.

“The enemy is engaged in an economic war on us. We must defeat the enemy in this war and God willing we will defeat it,” the Leader told a huge crowd at the shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad on Thursday.

“We will defeat the enemy, but this is not enough. Beside defeating the enemy, we must establish deterrence” in the economic sphere, the Leader said.

The Leader made the statements on the occasion of the new Iranian year of 1398 which started on Thursday.

Supreme Leader touched on “unrealistic speculations” about threats to Iran in the new year, dismissing them as part of the enemy’s psychological war.

“The enemies of this nation, in addition to what they do in reality, also wage a psychological warfare and make boastful exclamations which should be taken as they are,” he said.

“I believe the year 1398, with divine grace, will be the year of opportunities, possibilities and opening – not threats,” the Leader said.

Supreme Leader touched on US sanctions, saying they are an opportunity to expose Iran’s weaknesses and improve the country’s administration in the coming years.

“Sanctions can be an opportunity because experience has shown that countries with natural resources such as oil, whenever their revenues have fallen, they have found motivation to implement economic reforms and rescue themselves from reliance on oil.”

The Leader said extensive studies have already begun at the governmental, research and academic levels to find out how to run the country with non-oil revenues.

“As long as oil revenues are abundantly in their disposal, government officials and others will not think of an economic reform in the country.”

Supreme Leader cited the “Sacred Defense” years of 1980-1988 when Iran had to fight a war with Iraq under former dictator Saddam Hussein amid an international embargo on Tehran.

“The enduring of the hardships during the war led those with ideas and thoughts to change military reliance on outsiders as a result of which the Islamic Republic of Iran is better and superior than all the regional countries in terms of military and defense capabilities.”

Supreme Leader said, “To the dismay of the enemies, we will continue to reinforce our defense strength and will not give in to outside pressure.”

Iran, he said, must emulate its defense industry to insulate its economy. “We must reach a point of deterrence where the enemy realizes that it cannot use economic fissures to harm and pressure us.”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has a strong fist and a powerful hand to reach this point and possibility in economic matters and the opportunity has been put in front of us in light of the enemies’ threats,” the Leader said.

In order to create an economic deterrence, he said, Iran should fully cease to think of Western help. “We can expect intrigue, betrayal, and stabbing in the back from the West but not help and honesty.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said the Europeans had failed to fulfill their commitments after the US withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Despite the US pullout, the Europeans should have carried out their obligations under the JCPOA with stoicism but they refused to do so under various pretexts.”

A new trade channel known as Instex, established by the European Union to purportedly cushion the blow of reimposed US sanctions on Iran, “is more like a bitter joke,” the Leader said.

[This story is being updated.]