TEHRAN — Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says the victory of the Islamic Republic in Saddam Hussein’s war against Iran in the 1980s is as bright as the sun.

“The Iranian nation clinched a luminous victory,” Ayatollah Khamenei said on Monday, responding to foreign-based propaganda outlets which question whether Iran won the war.

He also pointed out that Iran managed to protect its territorial integrity and the Islamic Republic did not back down at all.

The Leader made the remarks in an online speech on the anniversary of the beginning of the war imposed by the former Iraqi dictator against Iran.

He said paying tribute to the veterans of the imposed war against Iran is a national duty.

Saddam Hussein’s army surprisingly launched war against Iran on September 22, 1980. Iran’s resistance against the invading army is known as “Sacred Defense”. The war lasted till the summer of 1988. The Sacred Defense Week is held on the anniversary of the beginning of the war.

“Today has been named a day of reverence for the warriors and veterans of the Sacred Defense in order to mark the 40th anniversary of the Sacred Defense,” Ayatollah Khamenei remarked.

“This is a very good and appropriate measure. This reverence is part of our definite national duty,” the Leader added.

In his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei lauded the warriors, saying those who sacrificed their lives to defend their country against the enemy should be respected.

Leader: Accepting Resolution 598 Resolution was based on tactfulness, wisdom

He also praised Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution, for his tactfulness during the 8-year war.

“Imam [Khomeini] realized from the very beginning that it was not an ordinary conflict between two neighbors,” the Leader said. “He recognized the enemy and realized that the main enemy is not present in the war, and he recognized that Saddam is just a tool.”

He also called the entirety of the 8-year war one of the “wisest” and “soundest” moves of the Iranian nation.

Some try to accuse the Sacred Defense of tactlessness based on a mistake that happened “in a gathering”, Ayatollah Khamenei remarked.

He added that cooperation between the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Army and their great measures in the operations as well as the acceptance of UN Resolution 598 by Iran were based on tactfulness and wisdom.

The Leader argued that the enemy started the war in order to overthrow the Islamic Republic and install a puppet government but they failed.

According to the Leader, when a nation shows that it has the diligence and power to defend itself by delivering a crushing response to invaders, the invaders would then think twice before perpetrating any attack against that country and its people.

Invoking the documents that came out after the war, he said there were agreements between the U.S. and Saddam before the war, and after the war, Washington would generously provide the Iraqi dictator with intelligence and arms support.

MH/PA