TEHRAN – Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution, has praised the Iranian Navy for circumnavigating the world, underlining that the high seas belong to all nations. 

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with the commander, crew, and families of the 86th Flotilla of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Navy, which traveled around the world recently. 

He described their successful and honorable mission around the globe as a result of great effort, strong determination, self-confidence, designing power, advanced military knowledge, efficient management skills and "courage and endurance in the face of difficulties," according to khamenei.ir. 

During the meeting, which took place on Sunday, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution added that, "This great movement once again showed that accomplishments, progress and fulfilled hopes come from the heart of movement, effort and hardship."

The Leader hailed the flotilla for sailing 65,000 kilometers in about 8 months, describing it as an unprecedented honor in the history of Iranian seafaring.

"This meaningful and profound movement should not be seen only as a military and naval event, since each of its shaping factors are lessons and worthy of attention."

Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out that what the 86th Flotilla accomplished is a clear example of the Quranic verse: "Prepare against them whatever you can of [military] power."

"What you accomplished elevated the level of the country's military capabilities. It strengthened the 'we can' mindset in the armed forces and in people's minds and such a mindset is the basis of the country's progress," he stated.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution further elaborated on the aforementioned verse, underlining that the feeling of weakness, doubt and passivity encourages the enemy to attack and take action. However, when it sees that the other side is prepared and capable, it will think twice before taking any measures.

Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that the accomplishment made by the 86th Flotilla has improved Iran’s international image, and that its political value is no less than its military value. He also pointed out the lessons that are to be learned from this endeavor.

Referring to the exceptional features of the sea and its greatness as a display of God's signs, he described the first lesson of this seafaring as learning about God.

Ayatollah Khamenei recalled that another lesson that was learned from this mission is a lesson about the Revolution, "because during the disgraceful periods in which the Pahlavi and Qajar [regimes] ruled Iran, there was no knowledge about the sea and its capacities despite the presence of a vast number of coastal resources and sea facilities in the country. The Navy was also preoccupied with other things. But the Revolution brought the sea and seafaring out of closure and oblivion."

He also described the presence of the Navy in distant areas and the Pacific and Atlantic oceans as a security-building presence for Iran. "Monopolization of humanity’s general issues is one of the features surrounding the US and the superpowers. If they could, they would even claim the seas in their name so that others would not have access to them," he continued. 

In this regard, Ayatollah Khamenei added, “By being present and countering their hostile actions to thwart or destroy this voyage, you proved that the high seas belong to everyone."

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution also referred to the obstacles created by the U.S. in sea transportation matters. “[They say]: 'We do not allow certain ships to pass through certain straits," he noted, adding “That is absolute nonsense, because the high seas belong to everyone. The sea and the air must be free for all nations and the security of shipping and maritime transport must be ensured for everyone."

By Sadegh Fereydounabadi