TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei called on Tuesday on candidates for next month’s presidential election not to look to other countries as examples for progress.
Speaking at a meeting of ambassadors from Muslim nations in Tehran, Ayatollah Khamenei encouraged candidates not to look abroad but to pin hope on the capabilities of the nation for progress.”
"They should pledge that they would look toward the nation itself, and not look beyond the borders, for the advancement of the country’s affairs, its economic development, and for removing obstacles,” the Leader stated.
The May 19 election will see incumbent President Hassan Rouhani face off against five rivals.
Under Rouhani, Iran in 2015 reached an accord with world powers to lift economic sanctions on the Islamic Republic in return for curbs on its nuclear program. But disappointment with the government’s handling of the economy is palpable.
Rouhani's main rival in the election, Principlist cleric Ebrahim Raisi, has promised to create over 1.5 million jobs a year if elected. Another candidate, Tehran Mayor Muhammad Baqer Qalibaf has promised to create 5 million jobs per year.
"Our problems are not something to be resolved by Americans and Westerners ... Iran's problems can only be solved by the capable hands of domestic experts," Raisi said.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the United States and the Zionists are directing belligerence against Iran because Islam is prominent in the Islamic Republic.
"Today they assail the Islamic Republic more than anywhere else, because Islam has manifested more clearly in Iran, and there is more room in this country for acting upon Islam. They are against Islam, because it interferes with their greed."
The Leader made his remarks on the occasion of Eid al-Mab’ath which marks the appointment of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) as the Last Divine Messenger.  
"After the establishment of the Islamic Republic, where a characteristic of the Prophet’s rule emerged and still continues, the enemies of human societies began battling what constitutes the reason for the progress of human societies, namely Islam, because Islam can stop oppression against humanity,” the Leader said.
"Today, all these animosities are spearheaded by the U.S. and the Zionists,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.
The Leader also said "the creation of terrorist groups in the name of Islam and engendering divisions among Muslim countries, including in Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen, are among the conspiracies devised by the oppressive U.S. and the evil Zionist regime to fight Islam.”
"This is a conspiracy. Setting Islamic countries against one another and getting them tied into wars are other forms of hostility."
Ayatollah Khamenei said the enemies of human societies are confronting Islam because it is the source of growth for humankind.
"It is the source of the emergence of talent. It is the source of the creation of a shared and common spiritual and material civilization. Because, Islam can stop the transgressions of the oppressive modern materialistic civilization, hence they target Islam.”
The Leader said, "We the Muslims have two main duties: one is that we should introduce real Islam to non-Muslims; the other is about ourselves. We should understand the reasons behind the animosity that the arrogant world powers practice against Islam.”