Iran nuclear deal: the Islamic Republic sticks to its guns

By Sayed Hasan

Translated from French by Jenny Bright 

(See previous article: “ The triumph of the Islamic Republic ”)

Attached is the translation of the speech of Sayed Khamenei following the nuclear deal.

On July 18th, 2015, in his first speech after Iran’s nuclear agreement signed four days ago, Sayed Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, sent a resounding message to the West, especially the United States and Israel, debunking the propaganda that endeavours to transform Iran’s outstanding victory into a success for Western diplomacy. And to further underline the determination of the Islamic Republic and its fundamental hostility to American imperialism, which will always remain the “ Great Satan ” in Iran’s eyes (as Israel remains the “ cancerous tumour that must disappear from existence ”), Sayed Khamenei gave his speech while clutching nothing less than an assault rifle : this is exceptional and almost unprecedented , especially for such a religious authority, in a mosque and on the occasion of a speech commemorating the end of Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr, a feast day throughout the Muslim world.

Of course, in order not to contravene the imperial euphoria that boasts of having forced Iran, the mainstream media have not made ​​any reference to it . The Associated Press has even been able to make a report of this speech with a fairly clear picture without making any comment on the subject, while Reuters chose to publish a photo of Sayed Khamenei dating from 2012. Yet, this unique fact deserved to be mentioned according to Western standards, and even could have gone in the direction of the demonization of the Iranian regime and its alleged aggressive and expansionist ambitions. But it’s the time for complacency and self-congratulation, and the presstitutes, like their masters, have nothing to do with the facts or the requirement for consistency.

Several points of this speech are worth remembering.

First, Sayed Khamenei does not make any show of triumphalism following the deal. He remains very circumspect, and recalls that this agreement still needs to be scrutinised and approved by the highest authorities of Iran – no reference, however, to its inevitable approval by the UN Security Council, instance null and void in the eyes of the Supreme Leader, nor of the US Congress. From the day after the conclusion of the agreement, Sayed Ali Khamenei had sent a message to this effect to President Hassan Rouhani , in which, after congratulating the team of Iranian negotiators, he stressed:

“However, it is necessary to very carefully study the text that has been prepared, so that it can then move in the legal direction that has been determined for it. Then, in the case of ratification, it is necessary to be on the alert for possible breaches of agreements by the other side and the blocking of its path. You know very well that some of the six governments in the opposite camp are not trustworthy in any way. I also expect the dear Iranian people to continue preserving its unity and tranquility so that we can ensure national interests in a quiet and reasonable environment.”

Wariness, and even distrust vis-à-vis the United States and its allies (especially France , which has distinguished itself by its hostility to Iran due to its pro-Israel servility; it’s a safe bet that Iran will remember it, and that French companies will find it harder to participate in the Persian gold rush which is developing) remains at its height, and rightly so. Strong from its experience, Iran, far from founding any hopes on agreements with the United States, counts only – after God – on itself, on the unity, enlightenment, strength and faculties of innovation of its own people, and the wisdom of its leaders. An open war remains a potential on the horizon, although not a desired one, and Iran continues to prepare for it with great confidence in its abilities.

Sayed Khamenei also wished to reaffirm the inviolable principles of the Islamic Republic and its foreign policy, for which no compromise, no negotiations are even considered. The Iran/US dialogue stops at the nuclear issue and is not intended to extend to other issues. The hostility of Iran to the US government, considered “the heart of global Arrogance” is unconditional, as well as its hostility to the State of Israel: “Death to America” ​​and “Death to Israel” will remain the fundamental slogans, constituting the very identity of the Islamic Republic and the Iranian people – and John Kerry should know that it is much more than mere rhetoric . In this way and predictably , Sayed Khamenei reaffirmed the unwavering support of the Islamic Republic to the oppressed peoples of the region, be it humanitarian, diplomatic and moral support for Bahrain and Yemen, or total support (economic, financial , military, etc.) for the countries and movements of the growing Resistance Axis – Iraq, Syria, Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other factions of the Palestinian resistance. Moreover, Sayed Khamenei did not even make this distinction, simply speaking of ongoing – and obviously increasing – support to all.

Finally, Sayed Khamenei referred to the march of History by emphasizing the many mistakes and setbacks of the United States since the end of World War II, sure to be repeated. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, which is also the ultimate authority to which refer tens of millions of Shiite Muslims around the world, both in the East and the West – including Hezbollah, who consider him nothing less than the politic and religious leader of the Islamic Community as a whole – confirms that far from being an arch-conservative , as claimed by Western propaganda, he remains at the forefront of international political and social struggles, following the example of a country such as Cuba. This can be difficult to conceive of in the West, historically used to seeing “traditional” religious authorities, such as the Pope for the Catholic Church, have conservative and even reactionary positions on many international political and social issues and be committed to maintaining the established order and teaching resignation to the peoples. Yet, it truly is on Islam and in its name that the Islamic Republic bases its internationalist policy of fighting against oppression and helping the destitute, and Iran is without any doubt destined to play a leading role in the world of tomorrow.

Shiite Nations and forces today are, by their actions, the most representative of public opinion in Muslim countries and authentic interests of their peoples, and it is expected that thanks to the internationalist role of Iran ( and not under its interested tutelage ), their aura will grow in the Islamic world in inverse proportion to that of Saudi Arabia, which is revealed for all to see as a USraelian tool , while Tehran appears to be the sole hope of Palestine . The billions of dollars spent by Saudi Arabia since 1979 to distort the image of Iran and Shiism – a tiny percentage of which could have freed Palestine – are being washed up by the flow of the developments of the Middle East, and it is likely that the Islamic State, the most spectacular tool of US domination ever, will be its last. Furthermore, we see forged and strengthened an objective alliance between Iran and its allies from BRICS and the SCO , especially with the traditionally Orthodox Russia, which is now the main opponent of US imperialism at the global level and champion of the defence of international law . Today, we can distinguish, with more and more clarity, a future where the classical balances of power will be restored, as well as the traditional strengths and values ​​, for the best interest of the peoples and peace between nations. Tomorrow, these cannot but pay homage to the visionary leaders – and countries –, from Fidel Castro to Imam Khomeini, who foresaw this decades ago and paved the way for it, and to all those who raised, strengthened and gave victory to their standard.

Sayed Hasan

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Supreme Leader’s Sermons at Eid ul-Fitr Prayers, July 18th, 2015   

The following is the full text of the sermons delivered on July 18, 2015 by Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, at the Eid ul-Fitr prayers in Tehran.

First Sermon

In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Greetings be upon you and God’s mercy. All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds. “All Praise is due to God, Who created the heavens and the earth, and made the darkness and the light. Yet those who reject faith hold others as equal, with their Guardian-Lord” [The Holy Quran, 6: 1].

All praise is due to God Whom we praise, Whom we remember, to Whom we repent, and peace and greetings be upon His beloved and noble one, the best among His servants, our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem al-Mustafa Muhammad, upon his immaculate, pure and chosen household, and upon those who guide the guided, especially the one remaining with God on earth.

I would like to congratulate all you dear brothers and sisters, the dear people of Iran and all Muslims throughout the world on this auspicious Eid. I advise you who say prayers and myself, to observe divine piety, piousness, safeguarding the inner self and avoidance of sins.

This year, the month of Ramadan was an auspicious month in the real sense of the word. In this month, divine blessings were showered on the people. The signs of these blessings were witnessed in the people’s fasting during the long and hot days of Ramadan, in large Quranic meetings all over the country, in great dua and supplication meetings – where thousands of youth, elderly people, men and women engaged in dua and supplication and where they spoke to their God in a pure and humble way – in donating charity, in the large iftar meals that have fortunately become common for several years now, in mosques, on the streets and finally in the magnificent Quds Day rallies. These are signs of divine mercy. The people participated in these great rallies in a hot summer day while they were fasting and while they had kept a vigil the night before – on the 23rd of the month of Ramadan – on the occasion of the Nights of Qadr.
This is the right way to know the people of Iran. These are the people of Iran. It is the people of Iran who paint such a picture of themselves on the scene of worshipping God during the month of Ramadan and on the scene of fighting against arrogance, each in different ways. Our people should not be known through the hostile words of others. Rather, they should be known through themselves, through their slogans, through their movements and through such magnificent reflections. These are the people of Iran. The picture that the enemy tries to portray about the people of Iran- unfortunately some obtuse individuals repeat this- by using propaganda, is deviant and wrong. The people of Iran are the same people who showed their different aspects and dimensions in this month of Ramadan.

By God’s favor, all of you will pass your test today. As well as passing this test, some of you will – by God’s favor – receive rewards, gain promotion and achieve spiritual transcendence today. The slogans of the people of Iran showed what our orientations are. On Quds Day, the slogan of “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” shook the scene of the country. And these slogans were not particular to Tehran and large cities. The entire country stood under the umbrella of this movement.
Dear God, accept what the people of Iran have done with Your mercy and kindness. Dear God, shower Your grace, mercy and infinite blessings on our people. Dear God, bestow Your mercy and forgiveness on our dear martyrs, our magnanimous Imam (r.a.) and all those people who helped and supported the people on this path.

In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful,
I swear by the time,
Most surely man is in loss,
Except those who believe and do good, and enjoin on each other truth, and enjoin on each other patience” [The Holy Quran, 103].

Second Sermon

In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

All praise is due to God, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master and Prophet, Ab-al-Qassem al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his immaculate and infallible household. And greetings be upon the Imams of Muslims and supporters of the oppressed, especially upon the Commander of the Faithful, the Mistress of all women, Hassan and Hussein – the children of mercy and the Imams of the guided – Ali ibn al-Hussein Zayn al-Abidin, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ja’far ibn Muhammad, Musa ibn Ja’far, Ali ibn Musa, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ali ibn Muhammad, Hassan ibn Ali and Hujjat al-Qaem al-Mahdi, Your representative among Your servants and trustworthy ones in Your land.

The first thing that I would like to say in the second sermon is to greet and congratulate all the brothers and sisters who say prayers and to advise them to observe piety.

The events that occurred in our region during the month of Ramadan and before that, were and still are bitter events. Unfortunately, some vicious hands made the blessed month of Ramadan bitter for the regional peoples. Many Muslim peoples in Yemen, Palestine and Syria experienced difficult days and fasts because of the evil plots of the enemies. All these events are important to our people.

Another issue is a domestic one: the issue of the nuclear negotiations. I deem it necessary to raise a few points in this regard. The first point is a word of thanks to officials in charge of these long and arduous negotiations – the honorable President and particularly the negotiation team who really made great efforts and worked hard. They will certainly be divinely rewarded whether the document that has been prepared will- through its determined legal procedures- be ratified or not. We have said this to those brothers in person as well.

Of course in order to ratify this document, there is a clear legal procedure that, by God’s favor, has to be taken. We expect that these officials take the interests- interests of the country, interests of the people- into consideration by paying careful attention, so that when they deliver the matter to the people, they can do so with their heads held high in front of God the Exalted as well.

The next point is that by God’s favor and grace, no one will be allowed to take advantage of this document in any way and to undermine the fundamental principles of the Islamic Republic whether this document is ratified or not. [Audience chants: God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! Khamenei is our Guide! Death to the enemies of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guidance of the Jurist)! Death to America! Death to Britain! Death to the hypocrites and enemies of God! Death to Israel!] The defense capabilities and the security area of the country will- by God’s grace- be protected although we know that the enemies have placed great emphasis on these areas. The Islamic Republic will never give in to the enemy’s greed in the area of protecting its defense capabilities and security- particularly in this environment filled with the enemies’ threats. [Audience chants: God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! Khamenei is our Guide! Death to the enemies of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guidance of the Jurist)! Death to America! Death to Britain! Death to the hypocrites and enemies of God! Death to Israel!]
The next point is that whether this document is ratified or not, we will not abandon our regional friends: the oppressed people of Palestine, the oppressed people of Yemen, the people and government of Syria, the people and government of Iraq, the oppressed people of Bahrain and the sincere mujahids of the Resistance in Lebanon and Palestine. These people will always enjoy our support.

The next point is that our policy towards the arrogant government of America will not change in any way despite these negotiations and the document that has been prepared. [Audience chants: God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! Khamenei is our Guide! Death to the enemies of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guidance of the Jurist)! Death to America! Death to Britain! Death to the hypocrites and enemies of God! Death to Israel!] As we have said many times, we have no negotiations with America on different global and regional issues. We have no bilateral negotiations with America. Sometimes, we have negotiated with them in exceptional cases such as the nuclear issue and we have done so because of our interests. The nuclear issue was not the only case. There were other cases as well which I have referred to in my previous public speeches. The American policies in the region are 180 degrees the opposite of the policies of the Islamic Republic. The Americans accuse Hezbollah and the Lebanese Resistance – who are the most self-sacrificing forces in their country in the area of national defense – of terrorism. There is no injustice worse than this. This is while they support the terrorist child-killing government of Zionism. How can one do business, negotiate and reach an agreement with such a policy? There are other cases as well and I will expand on them in other speeches.

Another point is about the Americans’ blustering in recent days. In the recent days that the negotiations have been concluded, the American excellencies – their male and female officials – are busy blustering. Each of them is blustering in a different way. Of course, this is alright with us. Their domestic problems force them into blustering. They claim that they have dragged Iran towards the negotiating table, that they have made Iran surrender, that they have obtained such and such concessions from our country and other such claims. However, the truth is something else. They say that they have prevented Iran from building nuclear weapons, but this has nothing to do with our negotiations with America and other countries. They themselves know this and sometimes they have spoken about the importance of the fatwa that bans nuclear weapons.

According to the commands of the Holy Quran and Islamic sharia, we consider building, keeping and using nuclear weapons as haraam and therefore, we will not do so. This has nothing to do with them and with these negotiations. They themselves know that this is the truth. They know that what prevents the Islamic Republic from building nuclear weapons is not their threats and intimidating behavior. There is a religious barrier behind this and they know the significance of this fatwa, but they still claim that it was they who prevented Iran. They are not honest with their own people and they do not tell them the truth. On various other matters, they say that they have adopted such and such a measure about Iran’s nuclear industry and that they have forced Iran to surrender, but they can only see Iran’s surrender in their dreams. [Audience chants: God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! Khamenei is our Guide! Death to the enemies of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guidance of the Jurist)! Death to America! Death to Britain! Death to the hypocrites and enemies of God! Death to Israel!]

From the beginning of the Revolution until today, five other U.S. presidents died or were lost in history dreaming that they would force the Islamic Republic to surrender. You too will enjoy the same fate. You too will never achieve the dream of forcing the Islamic Republic to surrender.

There was one point in the statements that the American president made in recent days: he admitted to America’s past mistakes. Of course, he said a hodgepodge of things. He admitted that the Americans made a mistake in Iran on the 28th of Mordad. He admitted that the Americans made a mistake in helping Saddam Hussein. He admitted to two, three mistakes, but he did not mention tens of others. He did not speak about the 25-year oppressive and treacherous rule of the second Pahlavi monarch. He did not speak about the many instances of torture, looting, massacre, disaster and calamity that were caused by America. He did not speak about the destruction of the Iranian peoples’ dignity and America’s efforts to trample upon their domestic and foreign interests. He did not speak about the Zionists’ domination, the killing of Iranian passengers on a passenger plane and many other things. Nonetheless, he mentioned a number of mistakes.

I would like to offer a friendly word of advice to these excellencies: today – after the passage of many years from the 28th of Mordad, the eight-year war and the defense that the Islamic Republic put up there – you acknowledge that you have made certain mistakes. I would like to say to you that you are making a mistake in the present time as well. In the present time too, you are busy making mistakes in different places in the region and particularly towards the Islamic Republic and the people of Iran. In a few years, someone else will turn up and show you your mistakes, just as today you are admitting to the mistakes that your predecessors made. You are making mistakes as well. Therefore, you should awaken, correct your mistakes and understand the truth. You are making grave mistakes in the region.

What I want to say to the people of Iran is that by God’s favor and grace, the Islamic Republic has become powerful and strong. [Audience chants: God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! Khamenei is our Guide! Death to the enemies of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guidance of the Jurist)! Death to America! Death to Britain! Death to the hypocrites and enemies of God! Death to Israel!] It has become stronger on a daily basis. It is 10, 12 years now that six great global powers – which are among powerful countries in the world in terms of economic wealth – have been sitting in front of Iran, trying to prevent it from pursuing its nuclear industry. They have said this openly. Their real goal is to open the nuts and bolts of the nuclear industry. They have said this to our officials many years ago. In the present time too, they pursue the same dream. The result of a 10, 12-year struggle with the Islamic Republic is that they have been forced to tolerate the operation of several thousand centrifuges in the country. They have been forced to tolerate the continuation of this industry in our country. They have been forced to tolerate the development of this industry and the continuation of research on it. Research and developing the nuclear industry will continue. The cycle of the nuclear industry will continue.

This is what they have been trying to prevent for many years, but today they have signed on paper that they have no problem with our nuclear industry. Apart from stressing the power of the Iranian people, what other meaning does this have? [Audience chants: God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! Khamenei is our Guide! Death to the enemies of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guidance of the Jurist)! Death to America! Death to Britain! Death to the hypocrites and enemies of God! Death to Israel!] This has been achieved because of the people’s resistance and steadfastness and our dear scientists’ courage and innovation. God’s mercy be upon the likes of Shahriari, Rezainejad, Ahmadi Roshan and Ali Muhammadi. God’s mercy be upon our nuclear martyrs. God’s mercy be upon their families. God’s mercy be upon a people who stand by their truthful claims and rights.

I would like to raise another point which is the last one. An individual has said that he can destroy Iran’s army. Our predecessors used to call such statements, “boasting among strangers” [audience laughs]. I do not want to say anything more in this regard. If those who will hear this statement want to know the truth and if they are willing to use their experiences correctly, they should know that should any war break out – of course we do not welcome and begin any war – he who will emerge humiliated [literally: “head-cracked”] out of it, will be transgressing and criminal America. [Audience chants: God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! God is the Greatest! Khamenei is our Guide! Death to the enemies of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guidance of the Jurist)! Death to America! Death to Britain! Death to the hypocrites and enemies of God! Death to Israel!]
In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful

When there comes the help of God and the victory,
And you see men entering the religion of God in companies,
Then celebrate the praise of your Lord, and ask His forgiveness. Surely He is oft-returning to mercy. [The Holy Quran, 110].

Greetings be upon you and God’s mercy and blessings