TEHRAN -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei here Monday said efforts by the enemies to shake the resolve of Iranians and sow discord among them have failed.
The Leader touched on the nation’s monumental turnout in nationwide rallies last week to mark the 45th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, saying they showed the Iranian people are loyal to the establishment despite economic problems.
“The remarkable and glorious turnout of the people, even 46 years after the victory of the Revolution, is unmatched worldwide,” he told thousands of visitors from Tabriz on the anniversary of a historic revolutionary uprising in the city. 
“The people have demonstrated that their problems and their legitimate expectations do not stand in the way of their participation in support of the Revolution,” the Leader added.
The massive march also showed that the enemy’s soft warfare threats have been ineffective against the Iranian nation, Ayatollah Khamenei said. 
“Software threats mean manipulating the public opinion; it means creating division; it means creating doubt in the fundamental principles of the Islamic Revolution and about steadfastness against the enemy,” he said.
Ayatollah Khamenei advised those within the country’s media industry, including broadcast apparatuses, authors, knowledgeable figures, cyberspace specialists, and authorities serving the education, science, and arts sectors across the nation as well as the country’s youths to “focus their efforts on confronting the enemy’s software threats.”
Under the current circumstances, the Leader said, soft warfare defense is more important than hard warfare defense.
“Deficiencies in hard warfare defense can be compensated for with soft warfare defense, just as this has been done many times before. However, software issues cannot be resolved with hardware tools.” 
The Leader said Iran’s defense capabilities against hard warfare threats are at an extremely high level. 
“Both our allies and enemies are aware of this fact, and the nation feels secure in this matter. Therefore, our current issue is not the enemy’s military threats, but rather the threats posed by a soft warfare,” he asserted.
The enemies, the Leader said, have come to the conclusion that the best way to defeat the Iranian nation and push the Islamic Republic back from its powerful positions is to employ threats of soft warfare. 
“By God’s grace, they have not succeeded. So far, the enemy’s temptations have not been able to shake the hearts of our people or deter our youths from their resolve and moving forward,” the Leader added.
Ayatollah Khamenei urged the youth to strengthen their soft warfare defense by familiarizing themselves with the concepts and features of the Islamic Revolution and the teachings of the late Imam Khomeini. 
“Our Revolution, in its true sense, represents the battle of ‘light against darkness’ and ‘truth 
against falsehood.’ It aims to elevate the Iranian nation, improve its future, and demonstrate its national identity,” he said.
Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted the advancements made toward the Islamic Revolution’s objectives. 
“The Revolution has managed to maintain itself as an independent identity, as a vast and inspirational foundation for regional nations, and even for some nations beyond the region,” he said. 
“The anger of the world’s arrogant powers, colonialists, and the evil elements who commit crimes under the guise of good names, is due to the fact that the Islamic Republic has proven resilient, unwavering, and capable of demonstrating its strength against them,” the Leader added. 
Ayatollah Khamenei rejected certain claims that the Iranian nation is creating enemies for itself. 
“The hostility from the tyrannical U.S. policymakers is not due to the slogan ‘Death to America,’ but rather stems from the fact that Iran, through the determination and sacrifices of its people, has successfully liberated itself from the yoke of colonial oppressors and resisted their impositions.”
The Leader said the bullying rhetoric of the U.S. and its demands for the occupation or annexation of parts of certain countries indicate the abhorrent, violent, plundering, and domineering nature of the imperialists and the complex network of Zionism. 
“They cannot tolerate the fact that the Iranian nation, by standing on its own feet and protesting against their oppression and aggression, has established a government which, after 46 years, has grown stronger day by day,” he said.