TEHRAN— Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei met a number of veterans and commanders from the Sacred Defense who defended against the invasion of Iran by Saddam's regime on Wednesday.

The Sacred Defense, otherwise known as the imposed war was backed by the U.S. and tens of other arrogant powers. 

During this meeting, the Leader noted that there was a time Tehran asserted that all the world powers such as the West, NATO, etc. are fighting against Iran. 

“The war on Iran was an international war. This was our assertion those days. Today, they themselves publish the documents and proofs, and you can see their admissions and testimonies,” he opined.

Ayatollah Khamenei then underscored that Saddam didn’t fight Iran alone. 

“World’s arrogant powers were behind Saddam in his war on Iran, because they were enraged by the Islamic Revolution. The Revolution wasn’t merely a temporary political defeat for the imperialism. It was a threat to the domineering system of global imperialism,” the Leader underlined.

According to Ayatollah Khamenei, the West could not tolerate that a nation did not fear the U.S. 

“Naturally, they wanted to avenge Iran. They tried striking blows such as attempts at coups, the Tabas aerial strike, and inciting ethnic groups, but they failed. So, they started a military war from a neighboring country, considering it the only way,” he explained.
 
“The 1980-1988 Sacred Defense proved a principle to the Iranian nation. That principle is that safeguarding the country and deterring the enemies’ tampering is achieved through resistance, not submission,” the Leader highlighted.
 
Ayatollah Khamenei further noted that the enemy imposed maximum pressure, but they failed. 

“The enemy designed a project for a ‘New Middle East’, but they failed. The enemy started transgressing our borders from air and sea, but they failed. All of their failures are due to the Iranian nation’s spirit of resistance,” he illumined. 
 
Today, the military status of the country and the security achieved due to it has reached a level where the country is deterring foreign threats, the Leader said, noting that the administration and the parliament should know that backing the armed forces is somehow mandatory and of great importance.
 
In the issue of reporting and narrating the Sacred Defense, the Leader noted that the enemy tries to act opposite to the truth. 

“The result of being overcome by the enemy’s fake grandeur and splendor in the political realm is fearing the enemy, and in the cultural sphere this brings humiliation and low self-esteem in facing the enemy,” he added, stressing the significance of building “national confidence.”

According to the Leader, it is the national confidence that can down the enemy’s drone.

Ayatollah Khamenei concluded his remarks by emphasizing the importance of recounting the truth of Sacred Defense.