Since the middle of last week when it was announced that, after an eight-year interval, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution would lead the Friday prayers in Tehran, opposition media outlets were trying to convey this illusion that Ayatollah Khamenei wants to suggest solutions to the current situation by claiming that Iran has reached a deadlock.

Relying on the same reasoning, in a widespread move through live programs, the media outlets claimed that the Leader was going to say special and important issues. 

Some state media also fell into this psychological trap and unintentionally highlighted these news.

The enemy media scenario was based on two parallel plans:

a. If the Leader put forward a specific strategy that indicated Iran’s sensitivity to the current situation, they would broadly criticize the strategy. In the next move, they would start a new phase and say that Iran, due to its inability to continue confrontation, has no choice but to change its strategy and step back.

b. If the Leader did not present a new strategy or point regarding the control over the situation, they would launch a media warfare stating that Iran has reached a stalemate because of its fear or inability and has no way out of crisis.

The point is that the results of both plans were mainly focused on public opinion inside Iran and the regional states, in order to portray Iran as an incapable country, while sowing despair and frustration.

A review of the remarks by the Leader during the Friday prayers sermons showed that not only he did not see the Islamic Republic of Iran in crisis, but firmly believed that what has foiled enemy’s plots over the last 41 years is the strategy of strengthening the domestic capability and countering the foe’s greed. All these pressures and hostilities have always been in past years, but the Iranian nation has become stronger than ever in spite of all pressures.  

The Leader’s reference to Days of Allah was also made with the same logic, saying that what will determine the winner is not limited to worldly possessions, but it is God’s help that emerges in crises and changes the game because of “sincerity” and “fear of God”. 

Regarding the same logic, the Leader pointed out to the presence of about 10 million people in Iran and hundreds of thousands in Iraq and some other countries in the burial ceremony of martyr Qassem Soleimani, as well as the strong response to the U.S. military action, which undermined the American dignity.

He further stated that the necessary condition for the continued enjoyment of God’s grace is to be constantly grateful for divine blessings.
On this basis, through his powerful and serious statements, the Leader eased the concerns of the Islamic Ummah and heralded a bright future based on divine promises, and also foiled the psychological operations orchestrated by the enemy’s think tanks. 

* Author: Mohammad Ghaderi , Tehran Times editor in chief 

His page on Twitter : @ghaderi62 - and Gmail address : m.ghaderi62@gmail.com