TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei voiced his deepest sense of gratitude to the Iranian people whose vigilance and meaningful presence in nationwide rallies, as he underscored, thwarted enemies’ recent plot to wreak havoc in the country. 

Addressing a large number of Basiji (volunteer) forces and their commanders on the occasion of Basij Week in a meeting in Tehran on Wednesday morning, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “I should express my deepest appreciations and honors to the great people of Iran due to their glorious move in the last couple of days (anti-violence rallies nationwide). Once again, the Iranian nation proved its might and glory.”

The leader further said that a widespread dangerous plot was utilized by the enemies against the country, adding, “The organizers (of recent chaos) had spent a hefty amount of money to materialize their objectives in due time.” 

Ayatollah Khamenei added that the enemies imagined that the gas price rise protests would be the best chance for them to enter their crops of rioters to the scene but the people destroyed their dream and foiled their plot. 

“Yes, the police, Basij and IRGC (the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps) did their duties and came at the scene but the mission that the people fulfilled during the last week was more important than any other field operation. The popular move resumed in Zanjan and Tabriz cities and then was followed by people in other cities, towns and even villages. The popular move was completed in Tehran on Monday via staging a large-scale rally and gathering,” the leader explained.
  
“The global arrogance has realized the meaning of the move (by the Iranian people). They received a slap in the face and retreated,” Ayatollah Khamenei went on to say.

“Basij from the first day of its establishment had no counterpart. Basij is a movement that has relied 100 percent on (the Islamic) Revolution and the Islamic ideology which the almighty God inducted to the Imam Khomeini’s heart,” the leader said, adding, “Perhaps the Basij is the greatest military, social and cultural network worldwide.” 

On November 26, 1979, Imam Khomeini in an unprecedented initiative ordered the establishment of popular volunteer forces of Basij. 

“Well, the establishment of Basij is the real meaning of turning threats into opportunities,” the leader added. 

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei said, “Independence is meant a nation’s freedom and is meant that a nation can decide its own fate but the global arrogance has been opposing such freedom in different forms.”

On Monday, People poured into Tehran’s main streets in very large numbers to show their allegiance to the Islamic Republic system and deplore rioters who misused the peaceful protests against an increase in gas price to commit acts of violence.

The marchers gathered in Enqelab (Revolution) square to underline their support for the Islamic Republic system, express loyalty to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and also voice their outrage of the rioters and the enemies who are seeking to destabilize Iran.

Before the massive rally in Tehran, certain other cities across the country staged rallies to condemn moves detrimental to public security. 

Marchers in Tehran chanted slogans in support of Velayat Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) and against the U.S., Israel and certain reactionary regimes in the region which incited violence during the protests last week.

Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps Major General Hossein Salmi delivered a speech at the gathering of the demonstrators in Enqelab square.

Salami told the gathering that riots were the results of a “comprehensive global scenario” against the Islamic Republic.

The senior general added, “Today, Iran is in a great world war.” 

On November 15, the government increased the gasoline price. However, the legitimate public protests against the price increase were directed at sowing chaos through targeted attacks on public and private properties, forcing law enforcement forces to step in to stop saboteurs.

Early estimates of an intelligence body showed that a sum of nearly 87,000 protesters and rioters had taken part in protest rallies and gatherings since November 15, when the increase in gas price went into effect. 

A large number of protesters, who over 93% of them were men, had only been present in the gathering centers and avoided joining the rioters in sabotage attacks.

"The identical methods of the main core of violent rioters discloses that they are fully trained individuals who have been prepared and looking forward to the situation to riot, unlike most people who have been taken off guard by the sudden hike in gas price," the intelligence report said.

It showed that gatherings had been comprised of 50 to 1,500 people in 100 places in the country out of a number of 1,080 major towns and cities. The report said violent raids and damage inflicted on properties are larger than what happened in the February 2018 unrest.

Most cases of damage to properties had happened in Khuzestan, Tehran, Fars and Kerman provinces. 

The report said most casualties had resulted from armed attacks on gas stations and military centers, adding that a number of police and Basiji forces were martyred in these attacks.

Nearly 1,000 people were arrested across the country while over 100 banks and 57 big stores were set on fire or plundered in just one province.

The Iranian Intelligence Ministry announced in a statement last week that it had identified several rioters who misused the protest rallies.

"The main culprits behind the riots… have been identified and proper measures are being adopted and the honorable nation will be informed about its result later," the statement said.

   MJ/