TEHRAN — Major General Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corp (IRGC), said on Thursday evening that the enemies of Islam were united in defeating the Islamic Revolution but now they are retreating.

General Salami made the remarks at a ceremony commemorating 373 martyrs and military officers of Golpayegan. 

At the beginning of his speech, Salami remembered Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani who passed away on Tuesday, saying that the grand ayatollah and many scholars were longtime companions of Imam Khomeini and the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
Stating that Golpayegan is a city of pious people, he said, “Besides great scholars, there are thinkers, scientists, eminent professors, wise elites and teachers who teach us literature, ethics, knowledge, faith, prayer, etc.”

Referring to memories of the Sacred Defense era and the role of the Golpayegani warriors, Salami said that he grew up in this city and he has many memories of the Sacred Defense with the comrades from this region.

“This city and its people are an honor for us and greetings to these great and valorous people,” he noted. 

Enemies were together to defeat the Islamic Revolution

The top general said that the enemies were united against Iran in spite of differences and enmities among themselves.

“The system of hegemony that was in the hands of the arrogant powers could not accept that a great Iran has appeared in the global community and wants to achieve independence, Islam and freedom. The enemies knew this model and this pattern, if repeated, would cover the entire geography of arrogance and defeat them.” 

He reiterated that what has happened today, after 43 years since the Islamic Revolution, in an important component of the Islamic world.

The senior commander added that Iran has endured many difficulties, saying that the main determiners of a country's destiny are those who stand against the enemy.

The history of Islam is known by the “sword of the commanders”, so there is no way other than becoming stronger because the enemy tries to involve Iran in war in various fields, he pointed out.

He asserted that the conspiracy of the enemy was a comprehensive one and is still ongoing. “The enemies are trying to prevent the Iranian nation from standing tall and proud, and basically in the logic of the enemies, Muslims should remain a backward generation of the international community. They want a generation of consumers who cannot think freely.”
 
The enemy wants the Muslims to follow their economic model and to grow as much as they want in science and their military formation be designed according to the macro policy of the great powers, Salami outlined. 

Explaining the reason for the enemies' opposition to the Islamic Iran, Salami said that the foes became powerful through economic domination and political position, as well as the attractive market and economic lure of the Islamic world, and now they are not willing to lose this domination, 

“Therefore, we need to become so powerful that they cannot resist us,” the IRGC chief remarked. 

Even U.S. can’t withstand such heavy sanctions

Noting that Iran has withstood the maximum pressure of the Americans and its Arab and European allies for 43 years, the IRGC chief added, “Today, the enemies have realized the power of the Islamic Republic in the region and are retreating. The art of Iran was to drain the enemy's energy within 43 years and impose defeat on the great American empire.”

He added that the economic sanctions were a powerful global plan, adding that no country, not even the United States, can withstand this type of sanctions that they have imposed on Iran.

“The measures and wisdom of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the patience of the nation and their economic fight gradually reduced the dangerous effects of this conspiracy, and today we have overcome the dangers of sanctions and reduced their effects,” he added. 

Enemies admit disgraceful failure in face of Iran

Elsewhere in his speech, the commander referred to the failure of the “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, saying that the enemies announced that they have failed miserably in implementing the policy of maximum pressure and “this is nothing but victory.”

He added, “The enemy wanted to paint a picture of Iran in which it liked in various fields and claimed that the Iranians are paralyzed, they stand against the system and they cannot continue, but now, time has passed and while they used all tools of aggression to humiliate Iran, the youth and children of this country humiliated them.”

Exemplifying the authority of Iran, Salami said that the Iranian people have seen the manifestations of the glory of their youth, like their battle to seize the oil vessel.

The major general was referring to an operation by the IRGC Navy in which they reclaimed a cargo of oil that U.S. forces had stolen from a tanker carrying Iranian oil in the Sea of Oman in early November 2021.

“The example of the oil vessel seizure is one of the examples where you saw how the youth of this country humiliated the enemy with confidence, or the marines who surrendered to our forces without any resistance when they entered the Iranian waters. These are examples of the authority and zeal of the children of this land,” he stated.

Wherever we became self-sufficient, the doors of sanctions were closed

In another part of his speech, Salami expressed examples of the power of Iran.

“Today the establishment is cohesive and the youth of this country are able to hit a ship on the sea kilometers away with high accuracy. The missiles are so many that the enemy is seriously afraid, and construction cycles are in motion, and the Khatam al-Anbiya construction headquarters alone is carrying out nearly 400 major national projects, and none of them are closed,” the major general explained. 

Referring to the third element of power in Iran, Salami said Iran is the only country that hasn’t allowed great powers to determine its fate.  

He added, “An American general said that until today we were looking to increase the power to defeat Iran, but today we are looking to increase the power so that we do not fight Iran. When the enemy praises our power, you should know that (our power) is real...”

Salami stressed that people will not fall into the enemy’s trap which is done through psychological operations and young people should be careful. 

Salami concluded his remarks by stating that the enemy is insidious and even in retreat it seeks to strike but “we must be united and be careful not to echo his voice.”