TEHRAN -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said Monday the recent riots in Iran were orchestrated in advance by the United States and the occupying regime of Israel.
“I openly state that the recent riots and unrest in Iran were schemes designed by the U.S., the usurping, fake Zionist regime, their mercenaries, and some treasonous Iranians abroad who helped them,” the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei made the statements during a joint graduation ceremony for cadets at the Imam Hassan al-Mujtaba University of Officer and Police Training.
“In these events, the officers working in the country’s law enforcement, the Basij, and the Iranian nation have been wronged more than anyone else. Of course, the Iranian nation was present and very strong in this event too as it has been in other events, and it will continue to do the same in the future too,” he said.
Ayatollah Khamenei said he was heartbroken by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
“A young girl died in this incident, and this burned our hearts. But the reaction to this incident was not normal or natural. Without investigation and without it being clear what had happened, some people took to the streets to create insecurity. They burned the Qur’an. They pulled women’s coverings off their heads. They set fire to mosques, Hussainiyahs, and people’s cars.
“If there hadn’t been this case about this young girl, they would have created another excuse to create insecurity and riots in the country in the beginning of the month of Mehr this year.”
The Leader touched on the double standards of the U.S. and the West with regard to the recent riots.
“Many riots take place in the world. Every now and then, there are large riots in Europe, especially in France, and in Paris. But has the U.S. president or the U.S. House of Representatives ever supported the rioters and issued a statement? Is there any record of them sending a message and saying that we stand with you? Is there any record of the mass media, which is affiliated with American capitalism, and the U.S. mercenaries, such as some governments in the region like the Saudis, supporting rioters in those countries? Is there any record of the U.S. announcing that they would provide some hardware or software for the internet to rioters so that they could communicate more easily? But such support against Iran has happened repeatedly.”
The Leader said the Americans’ expression of sorrow for the death of the young Iranian girl is a lie, adding that on the contrary, they are happy to have found an excuse to create turmoil in Iran.
“What is the foreign states’ motive for creating riots and unrest in the country? They feel the country is progressing toward achieving a comprehensive power, and they cannot tolerate this.”
The Leader said Iran’s enemies have designed to preoccupy Iranian officials with new problems in the country’s northwest and southeast, clearly referring to a spate of violent riots in Iranian Kurdistan and Sistan and Baluchestan which are home to Iran’s Kurdish and Baloch communities.
“The enemy is wrong in its calculations about the northwest and southeast of the country. I have lived among the Baloch people, and they are very loyal to the Islamic Republic. The Kurdish people are also one of the most advanced groups among the Iranian people. They care about their homeland, Islam, and this system. Therefore, the enemy’s scheme will not work,” he said.
Ayatollah Khamenei stated that the U.S. is not just against the Islamic Republic, adding it is also against a strong, independent Iran.
“They are after the Iran of the Pahlavi era, which submitted to their orders like a milking cow,” the Leader said.
“The issue is not the death of a young girl or the hijab. Many women who do not observe the hijab perfectly are among the steadfast supporters of the Islamic Republic, and they participate in various events. The issue and debate is about the independence, resistance, strengthening, and authority of Islamic Iran.”
The Leader also touched on the make-up of the rioters in the recent acts of rampage and vandalism.
“These people who are creating corruption and who are damaging the streets are not all the same. There are some young people who take to the streets out of excitement from watching a program on the internet. With some punishment these people can be awakened to the fact that they are wrong. Of course, there are other people who come to the streets who are the remainders of those who were struck down by the Islamic Republic, such as the Munafiqin [MKO terrorists], the separatists, the monarchists, and the families of the loathed members of Savak. The Judiciary must determine their punishment in proportion with the amount they have participated in the destruction and damaging the safety of streets.”
Ayatollah Khamenei touched on rampant insecurity in countries such as the U.S., saying the great advantage of Iran is that security is “inbuilt” in the country.
“There is insecurity in large countries, and the worst in this is the U.S where we always see attacks on schools, stores, and restaurants.
“Our security has been built completely from within and without relying on others. This security is completely different from the security that is provided by others from the outside while they are looking at that country as a milking cow.”
The security of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Leader said, is a result of its reliance on the power of God, the support of the Imam of the Time (May Allah hasten His reappearance), and the thinking and resistance of the nation and the armed forces.
If one relies on foreign powers, those same foreign powers will leave him alone one day. Because that foreign power neither wants to protect him nor can it protect him,” he added.
Ayatollah Khamenei touched on several thousand young people who enthusiastically join Iran’s military academies and centers, saying this is a great strength, good news, and brings a message of renewal and stability for the country.
“The presence of Iranian youth in various scientific fields, in economics, in politics, and in the military forces of the country is truly encouraging.”