TEHRAN — President Ebrahim Raisi stated on Wednesday that the foe strives to sow dissension in the Iranian society because it is threatened by the Islamic Republic's power and authority.

The president made the statement during a cabinet meeting.

The country should demonstrate the strength of the Islamic system so that the enemy admits to such power and the next generation is aware of it, the president said.

Raisi further emphasized the significance of maintaining the Islamic Republic's strength.

He also touched on his discussions in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session.

After a four-day stint in New York, President Raisi left the American megalopolis for the Iranian capital on Friday. During the stint, the president had busy days meetings with world leaders, putting on display Iran’s interactions with the international community. 

The New York visit was another indication that Iran is not isolated and enjoys growing relations with the world. This has also been on full display just before Raisi headed to New York. Before departing for the annual UN General Assembly gathering, Raisi traveled to Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for an important summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), in which the process of Iran’s membership in the bloc was initiated. 

“Certainly, with the active and effective presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, this membership will be recorded as one of the most important developments in the history of this organization,” President Raisi said in a speech delivered at the summit.

The president went to New York shortly after visiting Samarkand. In New York, he met many leaders and delivered a strongly-worded speech at the UN General Assembly. 

In his New York meetings, the president addressed many regional and global issues. He made sure to explain Iran’s positions on many issues, including the Palestinian question and the 2015 nuclear deal. In the speech he delivered at the annual UN gathering, Raisi reiterated Iran’s longstanding solution to the issue of Palestine. He said this issue can be solved by referring to the votes of the people of Palestine. “The solution to the Palestinian issue is only to refer to the votes of all Palestinians, including Muslims, Christians and Jews, in the form of holding a comprehensive referendum,” he said.