Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s latest address, delivered in a meeting with Iran’s scientific elites and young medal-winning scholars, was far more than a ceremonial speech. It was a comprehensive declaration about the future of Iran in a transforming global order.

In this gathering, he presented an intellectual and civilizational portrait of Iran — a nation that, in his view, is no longer merely a regional actor but a bearer of a new design for reconstructing the concept of power in today’s world. His recent statements must be understood within the framework of his enduring triad of thought — faith, knowledge, and steadfastness — three intertwined concepts that together define the geometry of Iran’s discourse of independence.

On the surface, Ayatollah Khamenei’s remarks praised the youth, intellectuals, and scientific champions of Iran; but at a deeper level, they carried a strategic message to the world: that contemporary Iran, amid a multifaceted war — both soft and hard — has, through religious faith, scientific progress, and a spirit of resistance, become a model of what he calls “active independence” in the international system. His words reflect a worldview in which knowledge without faith leads to domination, faith without knowledge leads to stagnation, and steadfastness without either leads to defeat.

Faith: The axis of self-Belief and psychological renewal of the nation

In Ayatollah Khamenei’s view, faith is not merely a personal virtue but a social asset that shields the nation from despair and cultural erosion. Referring to what he calls the “soft war,” he reminded his audience that the enemy’s main objective is to erode national morale. To him, this war is a kind of psychological engineering of nations, and faith is the armor that protects against it.

He said, “In the soft war, the enemy seeks to make the nation depressed, hopeless, and disillusioned with its own capabilities. You, by winning these medals, moved in the exact opposite direction.” In this formulation, faith becomes a strategic antidote — the energy that lifts a nation from passivity to self-confidence.

In his discourse, faith is not in opposition to knowledge but rather its source. By integrating faith and knowledge, the Iranian leader presents a model of indigenous development that avoids blind imitation of the West. He believes that faith — in God and in oneself — liberates nations from intellectual and economic dependency. From this perspective, the “revolutionary believer youth” is not merely an idealized figure, but the infrastructure of Iran’s future civilization.

At a time when global media often portray Iranian youth as hopeless and isolated, Ayatollah Khamenei speaks of a generation that “stands atop the summit.” That summit, he insists, is not only a symbol of athletic or academic victory but of psychological power — the power of a nation convinced it can stand firm against the architecture of domination. Faith here is the inner engine of national movement — the force that, throughout history, has pulled nations out of the depths of crisis.

Knowledge: The union of science and power

The second major axis of the Leader’s address was knowledge — but not knowledge in the abstract academic sense; rather, knowledge as a source of power. He described science as the “foundation of national deterrence” and the key factor of independence. In his words, Iran’s scientific achievements in fields such as nanotechnology, laser technology, defense industries, and particularly nuclear science, signify the maturity of a nation that has chosen to produce its own security instead of importing it.

He declared, “These missiles were built by Iranian youth; this is the identity card of the Iranian youth.” The sentence carries profound meaning. In Khamenei’s worldview, a missile is not merely a weapon — it is a symbol of scientific evolution and national will. Iran’s missile technology, he said, is the result of faith, knowledge, and the determination of its youth — a combination that creates genuine deterrence.

In an international environment dominated by the monopoly of defense technologies among great powers, Iran’s indigenous advancements constitute a challenge to the global structure of power. This challenge is not merely technical but epistemological — a declaration through action that “knowledge is not exclusive; faith can be the engine of science.”

It was in this same context that the Iranian leader sharply criticized then–U.S. President Donald Trump. Referring to Trump’s boast about attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities, he said: “It does not matter; you can live with that illusion. But who are you to dictate what a country may or may not do regarding its nuclear industry? These interferences are illegitimate, false, and arrogant.” This response was more than political rhetoric; it was a defense of the very principle of scientific sovereignty among nations.

For Ayatollah Khamenei, scientific progress is part of Iran’s national identity — an achievement built through the blood of martyrs and the labor of its youth; therefore, any attack on it constitutes an assault on the country’s independence. In this light, he condemned the assassination of Iranian scientists by agents of the Zionist regime, supported by the United States, as a crime against humanity, emphasizing that “you can assassinate a scientist, but you cannot kill his knowledge.”

True science, in his view, is not a mere accumulation of data but a liberating awareness — knowledge that frees human beings and nations from subjugation. He has repeatedly asserted that Iran must never place its scientific capacity in the service of the West, but rather in service of human dignity and global justice. In this sense, scientific advancement is the arm of morality, and technological deterrence is the earthly expression of faith.

Steadfastness: The rational logic of resistance against coercion

Continuing his address, Ayatollah Khamenei defined steadfastness as “the logic of survival in an unjust world.” Referring to Trump’s threats and his talk of “making a deal with Iran,” he remarked: “He says he is a man of negotiation, but a deal accompanied by coercion, whose result is predetermined, is not a deal but an imposition — and the Iranian nation will never bow to imposition.” This statement reflects the political philosophy of the Islamic Republic over the past four decades: a philosophy that draws a clear line between dialogue and submission.

In this framework, steadfastness does not mean isolation, but rather independence in decision-making. In Aytaollah Khamenei’s view, nations are defeated not when enemies cross their borders but when they infiltrate their minds. Resistance, therefore, is primarily cultural before it is military. “The enemy,” he said, “seeks to make the Iranian youth lose confidence in themselves; this is what they are trying to do.” This exposes the blueprint of the soft war: to strip a nation of its belief in its own capacity. Against this design, steadfastness is not an emotional reaction but the rational response of an awakened nation.

He explicitly stated that “America is the main partner in the crimes in Gaza,” adding: “You killed over twenty thousand children; were they terrorists? No — you are the terrorists!” With such words, he removes the term “terrorism” from the semantic monopoly of Western media and restores its moral meaning: terrorism is not the act of the weak, but the instrument of the dominant powers.

Ayatollah Khamenei also pointed to America’s internal unrest and the millions protesting against Trump’s government: “If you are so capable, instead of interfering in other countries, calm these millions and send them back home.” The line is both irony and admonition — irony toward a power collapsing from within, and admonition to a world still deceived by its façade of strength.

From his perspective, U.S. policy and that of its allies is a blend of coercion, deceit, and warmongering. Responding to Trump’s claim that “the Middle East is a region of war and death,” he retorted: “You are the ones who start wars. America is war-mongering; in addition to terrorism, it ignites conflicts. Why all these U.S. military bases in the region? What are you doing here?” These questions do not come from anger but from moral inquiry — a challenge directed at the conscience of the world: who is truly responsible for instability?

Ultimately, he concluded, “Although coercion may influence some countries, by divine grace it will never affect the Iranian nation.” This, in essence, is the philosophy of steadfastness: resistance not as a tactic but as the very nature of a believing nation.

Independent Iran: Redefining power in the 21st century

Taken together, these statements paint a new image of contemporary Iran — a nation that, in Ayatollah Khamenei’s words, seeks not merely survival but meaning. In a world where major powers suffer crises of legitimacy, he presents the concept of an “Independent Iran” as the moral and rational alternative to the existing global order. In this model, independence is not limited to economic self-sufficiency but extends to intellectual autonomy, cultural identity, and scientific sovereignty.

Ayatollah Khamenei insists that Iranian youth, scientists, and elites must be “stars that turn into suns.” The metaphor evokes continuity: a nation moving from reliance on foreign powers toward the internal generation of both faith and knowledge. Recalling the years of the imposed war, he sees today’s youth as heirs to the same generation that, with bare hands, stood against Western-backed armies and triumphed.

At the geopolitical level, this worldview implies the formation of Iran’s multilayered deterrence: military deterrence grounded in missile technology and indigenous intelligence; scientific deterrence that prevents technological dependency; and cultural deterrence born of faith and national confidence. Within this framework, modern Iran is no longer just a country within a region but an idea — the idea that it is possible to be independent and progressive without abandoning one’s values.

Concluding his address, the Leader once again emphasized that the Iranian people are a people of resistance and will continue on this path with hope. Addressing the youth, he said: “You are the manifestation of action, of hope, of progress.” Amid his warnings and criticisms, this sentence radiates optimism — hope which, in his words, “is the most powerful response to the enemy.”

Ayatollah Khamenei’s latest remarks can be seen as a summation of forty-five years of Iran’s experience — from revolution to sanctions, from war to progress. In a world where many nations have bent before the great powers, he remains steadfast on his enduring triad: faith, knowledge, and steadfastness. These three elements not only shape the internal structure of Iran’s power but also offer a model for nations seeking a path between dependency and isolation — a path of independence with dignity.

More than anything, the Leader’s recent address is a reminder that power, when separated from faith and awareness, degenerates into domination. Yet a nation grounded in indigenous science, moral conviction, and national honor will remain unbreakable, even under the heaviest pressures. Amid the global noise and media distortion, his message resonates quietly but profoundly: Iran, through its faith and knowledge, has chosen a path different from that of the world’s great powers — a path that may one day become the new direction of history.