WANA (Mar 12) – Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei has issued his first message after being selected as the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, the full text of which is as follows:

 

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

 

“We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We

bring forth one better than it or similar to it.” (Qur’an)

 

At the beginning of my remarks, I must offer my condolences to my master—may God hasten his reappearance—on the heartbreaking martyrdom of the great leader of the Islamic Revolution, the wise and beloved Khamenei. From that noble presence I ask prayers of goodness for each and every member of the great nation of Iran, indeed for all Muslims of the world, for all servants of Islam and the Revolution, for the self-sacrificing individuals and the families of the martyrs of the Islamic movement—especially those of the recent war—and also for my humble self.

 

The second part of my address is directed to the great nation of Iran. At the outset, I must briefly explain my position regarding the decision of the esteemed Assembly of Experts. This servant of yours, Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, learned of the result of the vote of the honorable Assembly of Experts at the same time as you did, through the broadcast of the Islamic Republic’s television. For me, to occupy a place that was once the seat of two great leaders—Imam Khomeini the Great and the martyred Khamenei—is an exceedingly difficult task. For this seat carries the legacy of one who, after more than sixty years of struggle in the path of God and renunciation of all kinds of comforts and pleasures, became a radiant jewel and an outstanding figure—not only in our present era but throughout the history of rulers of this land. Both his life and the manner of his death were interwoven with a grandeur and dignity born of reliance upon the Truth.

 

I had the honor of seeing his body after his martyrdom. What I saw was a mountain of steadfastness, and I heard that his uninjured hand had been clenched in a fist. Those who are knowledgeable about the various dimensions of his personality will need a long time to speak about them. In this moment I suffice with this brief remark, leaving the detailed discussion to more suitable occasions. This is the reason why assuming the mantle of leadership after such a person is so difficult. Bridging this distance is possible only through seeking the help of the Almighty and through the support of you, the people.

 

I must now emphasize a point that is directly related to the essence of my remarks. One of the remarkable qualities of the martyred leader—and of his great predecessor—was their ability to bring the people into all arenas, to continually provide them with insight and awareness, and in practice to rely upon their strength. In this way they gave true meaning and reality to the concept of the public and of republicanism, and they deeply believed in it. The clear effect of this was witnessed in the past few days, when the country was without a leader and without a commander-in-chief. The insight and wisdom of the great Iranian nation during the recent events, along with its perseverance, courage, and presence, inspired admiration among friends and astonishment among enemies. It was you, the people, who led the country and guaranteed its authority.

 

The verse cited at the beginning of this statement means that no sign among the divine signs expires or is forgotten without God, the Exalted, replacing it with something equal or better.

 

My use of this noble verse is not meant to suggest that this humble servant could be comparable to the martyred leader—let alone superior to him. Rather, the purpose of citing this blessed verse is to draw attention to the rightful and prominent role of you, the dear nation. If that great blessing was taken from us, in its place once again the Ammar-like presence of the Iranian people has been granted to this system. Know this well: if your power is not manifested in the arena, neither the leadership nor any of the various institutions—whose true role is to serve the people—will possess the necessary effectiveness.

 

For this reality to be realized more fully, several matters must be observed.

 

First, remembrance of God Almighty, trust in Him, and seeking intercession through the pure lights of the Infallibles—peace be upon them all—must be regarded as the supreme elixir and rare alchemical substance that guarantees all forms of relief and ultimate victory over the enemy. This is a tremendous advantage that you possess and your enemies lack.

 

Second, unity among the various individuals and groups of the nation—something that usually becomes most evident in times of hardship—must not be damaged. This can be achieved by setting aside points of disagreement.

 

Third, an effective presence in the arena must be preserved, whether in the manner you demonstrated during these days and nights of war or through various forms of constructive participation in social, political, educational, cultural, and even security spheres. What matters is that the correct role is understood clearly and implemented as much as possible without undermining social unity. One of the duties of leadership and certain officials is to remind individuals and groups in society of some of these roles. For this reason, I emphasize the importance of participating in the ceremonies of Quds Day 1447, in which the element of resistance against the enemy must be given special attention.

 

Fourth, do not neglect helping and supporting one another. Praise be to God, this has always been the characteristic of most Iranians, and it is expected that during these special days—when naturally some members of the nation endure greater hardship than others—this spirit will appear even more prominently. In this regard, I call upon service institutions not to withhold any assistance from those dear members of the nation or from popular relief structures.

 

If these principles are observed, the path toward days of greatness and glory for you, the beloved nation, will be paved. The nearest example of this, God willing, may be victory over the enemy in the current war.

 

The third part of my remarks is a sincere expression of gratitude to our brave fighters who, under conditions in which our nation and beloved homeland have been unjustly attacked by the leaders of the front of global arrogance, have blocked the enemy’s path with their crushing blows and removed from them the illusion that they could dominate—or even divide—our homeland.

 

Dear brothers in arms: the demand of the masses of the people is the continuation of effective and regret-inducing defense. Likewise, the leverage of closing the Strait of Hormuz must certainly continue to be used. Studies have also been conducted regarding the opening of other fronts where the enemy has little experience and would be highly vulnerable; activating them, should the state of war continue and in accordance with strategic considerations, will be undertaken.

 

I also express my sincere thanks to the fighters of the Resistance Front. We consider the countries of the Resistance Front to be among our best friends, and the cause of resistance and the Resistance Front is an inseparable part of the values of the Islamic Revolution. Undoubtedly, the cooperation of the components of this front with one another shortens the path toward overcoming the Zionist turmoil. As we have witnessed, the brave and faithful Yemen did not cease defending the oppressed people of Gaza, Hezbollah—despite all obstacles—came to the aid of the Islamic Republic, and the Iraqi resistance has courageously followed the same path.

 

In the fourth part of my remarks, I address those who have suffered in various ways during these past few days—those who have experienced the loss of a loved one through martyrdom, those who have been injured, and those whose homes or workplaces have been damaged.

 

First, I express my deep sympathy with the families of the noble martyrs. This feeling arises from a shared experience that I have with them. Beyond my father—whose loss has become a matter of national mourning—I have also entrusted to the caravan of martyrs my dear and loyal wife, in whom I had placed many hopes; my devoted sister, who dedicated herself to serving our parents and ultimately received her reward; her young child; and the husband of another sister, a learned and honorable man. Yet what makes patience in the face of such hardships possible—and even easier—is attention to God’s certain promise of a great reward for the patient. Therefore one must remain steadfast and maintain hope and trust in the grace and assistance of the Almighty.

 

Second, I assure everyone that we will not overlook the vengeance for the blood of your martyrs. The revenge we envision is not limited to the martyrdom of the great leader of the Revolution. Every member of the nation who is martyred by the enemy constitutes an independent case for retribution. A limited portion of this retribution has already taken concrete form, but until its full measure is realized, this case will remain open among the other cases—especially with regard to the blood of our children, toward which we will show even greater sensitivity. Therefore, the crime deliberately committed by the enemy against the Shajareh Tayyebe School in Minab, and similar cases, will receive particular attention in this process.

 

Third, the wounded from these attacks must certainly receive appropriate medical services free of charge and benefit from certain additional advantages.

 

Fourth, to the extent that the current conditions allow, sufficient measures must be defined and implemented to compensate the financial losses inflicted upon personal property and premises. The latter two points constitute binding duties for the responsible officials, who must implement them and report the results to me.

 

Another point that must be emphasized is that, in any case, we will demand reparations from the enemy. If they refuse, we will seize from their assets to the extent we deem appropriate, and if even that is not possible, we will destroy an equivalent amount of their property.

 

The fifth part of my remarks is addressed to the leaders and influential authorities in certain countries of the region. We share land or maritime borders with fifteen neighboring countries, and we have always desired warm and constructive relations with all of them. However, over many years the enemy has gradually established bases—both military and financial—in some of these countries in order to secure its domination over the region. During the recent attack, some of these military bases were used. Naturally, as we had explicitly warned beforehand, we targeted only those bases without committing any aggression against the host countries themselves. From now on, we will unfortunately have to continue doing so, even though we still believe in the necessity of friendship between us and those neighbors.

 

These countries must clarify their stance regarding those who aggress against our homeland and kill our people. I recommend that they shut down those bases as soon as possible, for by now they must surely understand that America’s claim of establishing security and peace has been nothing but a lie.

 

Doing so will strengthen their connection with their own peoples—who are generally dissatisfied with cooperation with the front of disbelief and its humiliating behavior—and will increase their wealth and power. I repeat once again that the Islamic Republic, without seeking domination or colonial influence in the region, is fully prepared for unity and warm, sincere relations with all its neighbors.

 

In the sixth part of my remarks, I address our martyred leader.

 

O Leader! Your departure has left a heavy sorrow upon the hearts of all. You had always longed for such an end, until finally the Almighty granted it to you while you were reciting the Holy Qur’an on the morning of the tenth day of the blessed month of Ramadan. You endured many injustices with dignity and patience, never showing the slightest resentment. Many did not truly recognize your worth, and perhaps it will take a long time before the veils and obstacles are removed and some of its dimensions become clear.

 

We hope that from the station of closeness you have attained—among the pure lights, the truthful, the martyrs, and the friends of God—you will continue to think of the progress of this nation and of all the nations of the Resistance Front, and intercede for them, just as you did during your worldly life. We pledge to you that we will strive with all our being to elevate this banner—the principal banner of the front of truth—and to achieve your sacred goals.

 

In the seventh part of my remarks, I sincerely thank all the distinguished figures who have supported me, including the grand religious authorities, various cultural, political, and social personalities, and the members of the public who have participated in magnificent gatherings to renew their allegiance to the system. I also thank the officials of the three branches of government and the temporary leadership council for their prudent measures and actions.

 

I hope that the special divine blessings in these blessed hours and days will encompass the entire nation of Iran—and indeed all Muslims and the oppressed of the world.

 

Finally, I ask our master—may God hasten his noble reappearance—during the remaining nights and days of the Nights of Decree and the blessed month of Ramadan, to pray before the Almighty for our nation’s decisive victory over the enemy, and for dignity, prosperity, and well-being for our people, and for exalted stations and eternal peace for their departed ones.

 

Peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of God.

Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei

21 Esfand 1404

Corresponding to 22 Ramadan 1447 AH