TEHRAN – Leader of the
Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday the enemy is engaged in a multi-front war against Iran, stressing the need for a hybrid response to counter its economic, political, security, media and diplomatic aggression.
“In the face of this aggression, we cannot constantly remain in a defensive position and must mount an intensive and vigorous campaign in various fields, including media, security and economics in response,” the Leader told a group of Iranian Air Force commanders and personnel.
Every year on February 8, Iranian Air force commanders and personnel meet the Leader to mark the historic declaration of allegiance of Iranian Air Force officers with the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini back on February 8, 1979.
The meeting is viewed as a turning point leading to the victory of the Islamic Revolution three days later, sealing the fate of the U.S.-backed Pahlavi regime in Iran.
“Whenever the camp of truth enters the field to confront the camp of falsehood, the enemy makes miscalculations despite all its superficial, hollow power and splendor. The Army Air Force’s blow to the decaying body of the Pahlavi regime on February 8, 1979, was an example of this,” Ayatollah Khamenei stated.
Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran continues to make dramatic progress despite various plots hatched by the enemies, predicting a bright future for the Iranian nation.
The United States, he said, is currently receiving blows from where it never predicted.
“Today the two U.S. presidents -the former and the current presidents- have joined hands to ruin whatever was left of the U.S. reputation. They are weakening the U.S., and this will continue,” the Leader said.
Ayatollah Khamenei dismissed Western claims of advocating freedom of expression, and lambasted media dictatorship as one of the different forms of Western dictatorship.
He cited Instagram and other U.S.-based social media platforms which censor the name and pictures of Iran’s top anti-terror commander and icon, General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated in a U.S. drone attack in Iraq two years ago.