TEHRAN – Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has said that the sanctions imposed on Iran over the past 30 years have vaccinated the country against new sanctions. 

 

The Leader made the remarks in Tehran on Wednesday during a meeting with a number of women who participated in the World Conference on Women and Islamic Awakening. 

 

More than 1000 female scholars and intellectuals from 85 countries attended the two-day conference, which opened in Tehran on Tuesday.

 

“These days, the Westerners are creating a commotion about the imposition of sanctions on Iran, but they do not understand that they themselves have vaccinated the Iranian nation against any sanction with the imposition of sanctions over the past 30 years,”  Ayatollah Khamenei said in reference to the European Union’s oil embargo on Iran that took effect on July 1 and a new U.S. law that penalizes countries that do business with the Central Bank of Iran by denying their banks access to the U.S. market. 

 

He also pointed to the Islamic Awakening occurring in the region and said that the movement can change the course of history if “perils and blights” are dealt with properly. 

 

“The arrogant powers, led by the United States and Zionism, which have been surprised by this great movement, are doing their utmost to contain the movement and ride on waves,” he stated. 

 

The arrogant powers are trying to dampen the people’s enthusiasm and engage them in deceptive and divisive issues in order to contain the Islamic Awakening, he said. “If Muslim nations resist against this plot and remain present on the scene, their victory over the global arrogance (forces of imperialism) is certain.” 

 

In addition, the Leader highlighted the role of women in the Islamic Awakening movement and said that increased presence of women will undoubtedly result in numerous victories for Muslim nations. 

 

Elsewhere in his remarks, he said, “With the grace of God, the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic are standing by the Palestinian nation, the nations that have awakened and staged revolution, and all those who confront the United States and Zionism.” 

 

Prior to the Leader’s address, a number of Palestinian, Egyptian, Tunisian, Bahraini, Lebanese, Libyan, Yemeni, Azerbaijani, and Iraqi women delivered speeches in which they expressed their views about the Islamic Awakening and popular uprisings occurring in the region.