TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has chosen “Investments for Production” as the slogan for the new Persian year in his annual Nowruz message.
Ayatollah Khamenei described the past year as filled with numerous events, comparing it to 1981, when the Islamic Republic lost several senior officials.
The Leader acknowledged that economic problems significantly pressured citizens throughout the year, particularly in the second half.
“Economic problems brought pressure on the people throughout the year, particularly in the latter half, and the difficulties involved in making a living created challenges for the population,” the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei praised the Iranian people’s response to these difficulties, highlighting their “spiritual resilience, unity, and high level of preparedness.”
Emphasizing economic priorities for the new year, Ayatollah Khamenei called for increased production through investment.
“One of the important issues in the country’s economy is investments in production. Production experiences a surge when investments are made,” he said.
He called for both government and private investment, saying that the government should invest where people “either lack the motivation or the means.”
The Leader also touched on “truly large, atrocious” attacks by the usurping Zionist regime on Gaza, calling on Muslims to stand united against them and “all freedom-seekers around the world – within the United States itself, in Western and European countries, and in other countries – to strongly oppose this treacherous, horrendous act”. 
“Of course, the United States is also complicit in this tragedy. Experts in political issues worldwide concur that this action is being executed under the direction of the United States, or at the very least, with the approval and a green light from the U.S. Therefore, the U.S. is also complicit in this crime”. 
“The same is true about the events in Yemen. The attacks on the people of Yemen and on Yemeni civilians are also crime that must definitely be stopped,” he added.
Separately, in his live annual televised speech marking Nowruz, the Leader said U.S. threats against Iran “will get them nowhere”, after President Donald Trump threatened the Islamic Republic with possible military action.
“The Americans should know threats will get them nowhere when confronting Iran,” the Leader said, adding Americans “and others should know that if they do anything malign to the Iranian nation, they will get a hard slap”.