TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday the main goal of the enemy is to bring the Islamic Republic to its knees and destroy it by creating discord and distrust within the country.
“The most important task in the face of this evil plot is to maintain the strategy of unity,” the Leader told a group of commanders and officers of the Iranian Air Force and Air Defense here.
The meeting took place on the 44th anniversary of the historic pledge of allegiance by the Air Force and Air Aviation personnel to Imam Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Revolution.
Known as Homafaran Allegiance, officers in the Shah’s air force saluted Imam Khomeini days before the victory of the Islamic Revolution on Feb. 11, 1979, which is celebrated each year as 22 Bahman.
The Leader called Homafaran Allegiance as an effective and morale-boosting prelude to 22 Bahman that showed the greatness and dignity of the Iranian nation.
“22 Bahman is the peak of the proud movement of the Iranian nation and is reminiscent of the most glorious day in the history of the Iranian nation, because people gained their dignity, greatness and power on this day,” he said.
“By God’s grace, 22 Bahman this year will be the manifestation of unity and national trust, and the people will clearly convey this message to all ill-wishers that their efforts to create distrust and destroy national unity have been neutralized,” the Leader added.
“My advice to our dear people is to try to turn this march, this great day, and this glorious movement into a manifestation of national unity and trust and convey the message to the enemy clearly that its attempt to destroy our national unity has been neutralized, and that they cannot separate the people from each other and from the government and make the system pessimistic about the people or drag different groups of people to war against each other.”
Ayatollah Khamenei honored the faithful, revolutionary, beloved, and popular army of the Islamic Republic of Iran for fulfilling “big, fantastic tasks”. He said the pledge of allegiance to Imam Khomeini was a key factor in the victory of the Islamic Revolution.
The Leader said the failure or return of bitter dictatorships in the great revolutions of the world, such as the French and Soviet revolutions, is because the main needs and dangers were neglected and the rulers were preoccupied with personal issues and disputes.
“The Islamic Revolution protected itself from these plights. Of course, we have had problems as well, and efforts and diagnoses were not the same in different administrations, but the general movement was towards the highest point and material and spiritual progress,” he added.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the enemy

intends to bring the Islamic Revolution and established to its knees.
“Of course, they say the opposite, as the president of the United States wrote to me about 15 years ago, saying explicitly that ‘we do not intend to change your government.’ But we had reports at the same time that they were planning in their centers to destroy the Islamic Republic.”
The Leader recounted the enemies’ strategies against the Islamic Republic.
“Sowing pessimism between political groups and distrust among people toward each other and toward the government, and creating pessimism between organizations are among the strategies of Iran’s ill-wishers to achieve their goals.”
The Leader said spreading lies and rumors are the most important strategies to instigate discord within the country. He said when the enemy targets national unity with its attacks, “we must not let it emerge victorious in its evil objective by maintaining this unity.”
“The Islamic Republic has taken this important, strategic and beneficial region out of their hands. Moreover, it has raised the call for independence and not getting blackmailed not only as a political issue, but as a religious belief,” the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the Islamic Republic’s independence and its aversion to blackmail which arises from faith and the Quran’s emphasis on not trusting the arrogant cannot be bought or sold.
The Leader also condoled with “our disaster-stricken brothers in both Syria and Turkey” over a tragic earthquake that left thousands dead in both countries. He asked Almighty God for mercy for the deceased and patience for the bereaved/
“We ourselves have been afflicted, and we know how hard it is when earthquake hits, when the loved ones of families are destroyed, how bitter it is, how bitter they feel.”