TEHRAN – Iranian President Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi praised the armed forces of Iran, underlining that the people of the country hold high opinion of the armed forces, including the Army and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

On Friday morning during his visit to Hormozgan province, Ayatollah Raisi visited the exhibition of achievements and capabilities of the Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the First Marine Region, he appreciated the commanders and personnel of this unit, and stated, “This exhibition proved that sanctions and threats do not hinder progress.”

The president added, “Your actions are the best manifestation of the expression of 'WE CAN'. What was seen in this exhibition is a symbol of ability and authority for the Revolutionary Guards and the country.”

Ayatollah Raisi stressed that the volume of restrictions and military and nuclear sanctions do not exist in any other industry, and said, “Despite these sanctions, we have made the most progress in this area,” according to a readout published by the official website of the Iranian presidency.

Referring to the strong will and capability of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, Ayatollah Raisi said, "As long as this spirit is revolutionary, the enemy cannot do anything. What has given power to the country today is the steely will".

The president stated, "Today, people are comfortable with the security of the country in various sectors, because no movement is hidden from the eyes of the heroes of the Armed Forces".

Ayatollah Raisi pointed out, "This feeling of security is due to the authority of the IRGC, the Army and the Basij. The Army and the IRGC are respected by the people, and the people have a very close relationship with the armed forces".

In this visit, Ayatollah Raisi visited the latest achievements and capabilities of the IRGC Navy in the past year and a half, including drone units, missile systems, forest systems, rocket launchers, missile launchers and torpedo launchers, subsurface equipment, missile launchers, high-speed warships and flying boats.

Also, as part of his trip to Hormozgan province, the president paid visits to the islands of Hormoz and Qeshm. 

Raisi met with the people and local officials of Hormoz Island. The president said, "One of the honours of Hormoz Island that it has dedicated martyrs to the country".

Referring to the lack of a health centre in Hormoz Island, Ayatollah Raisi said, "An active medical center should be established to serve the people of the island and travelers and tourists".

Ayatollah Raisi emphasized, "One of the government's plans is to construct housing, and it was decided in the national housing scheme to build a number of houses on the island, and the governor-general of Hormozgan will follow up on this issue".

The president stated, "It does not make sense for the people of Hormoz Island to have unemployment problems with so much capacity, and the issue of employment is one of the most central issues that must be resolved on this island".

He emphasized on activating the tourism economy in Hormoz and noted, "I believe that by activating the tourism capacity in Hormoz Island, employment will also be created".

During this visit, Ayatollah Raisi also met with the families of the martyrs and war veterans of the island and emphasized on preserving the culture and manners of the martyrs in this region and protecting the intentions and goals of the martyrs".

Raisi also visited the village of Gevarzin on Qeshm island and met with the people of this village.

The president said, "A lot of work has been done on Qeshm Island thanks to the Islamic Republic, and the face of this island is not comparable to before the revolution".

Ayatollah Raisi pointed out, "Part of the people of this region are engaged in tourism projects, which will increase employment with the development of this industry".

The president held a press conference at the end of his visit on Friday afternoon. Raisi said, "Based on the needs analysis that we did before the trip, we visited various projects, and it was decided that the problems that can be solved quickly should be solved in a short time".

The President added, "For the problems that need to be investigated in the capital and the budget allocation, orders were issued and it was decided to follow up the issue in the Plan and Budget Organisation".

Referring to the government's concern to deal with flood and earthquake damage in Hormozgan, Ayatollah Raisi said, "We thank God that the damage from these two incidents in Hormozgan was very small, but the government will compensate this small damage, especially to farmers and ranchers".

Referring to his visit to the flood-hit and earthquake-stricken areas of Hormozgan, the president said, "Good measures have been taken to remove debris and start rebuilding houses, which were to be funded to complete them".

Referring to the complaints raised in various meetings about the non-use of local human resources in the province's major industries and projects, he said, "In the administrative council, I announced that the priority of the province's managers should be on selecting local forces".

The president stressed the need to organize fishing at sea and said, "Trawl fishing harms aquatic animals, the sea and traditional fishing, therefore it is prohibited, and only fishing at sea under the supervision of fisheries is legal and systematic".

Ayatollah Raisi also referred to the government's decision to organize illegal trades and said, "It was decided to determine the list and amount of goods that sailors can bring into the country, so that both the sailors' livelihood and the country's needs are met and the production sector is not harmed".

He stated, "Considering the use of the province's resources and their environmental consequences for Hormozgan, paying the province's share should be considered a task".

The president referred to the tourism potential of Hormozgan and said, "If the tourism economy of the province is activated, the complicated situation of unemployment in the province will be resolved and it will also help improve the livelihood and economy of the people".

The President also mentioned his visit to the islands of Hormoz and Qeshm, saying, "Hormoz Island has a huge potential for tourism, but unfortunately when we entered Hormoz, we faced families who complained about unemployment and housing conditions that these problems must be addressed".

Referring to his meeting with the families of the martyrs of Hormoz Island, Ayatollah Raisi described the island as a symbol of resistance in Hormozgan and the families of the martyrs of the region as respected by the Iranian nation.

The president described the government as determined to build housing and implement the National Housing Movement Scheme and said, "Some reject the construction of four million houses in four years. In response, I say that the government is determined to pursue this work with the country's capacities and facilities, and it is possible".

Ayatollah Raisi considered Hormoz Island as one of the potential centers for housing construction and urged the governor-general of Hormozgan to pursue housing construction on Hormoz Island with the participation of the private sector.

The president said that during his visit to Qeshm Island, we also saw that the situation of this island is very different from the past, adding, "This island needs serious development and the necessary decisions were taken to solve these problems and the prosperity of the region".