TEHRAN - President Ebrahim Raisi visited Birjand, the capital of South Khorasan, on Thursday morning, to mark the beginning of the second round of his provincial trips. 

Upon his arrival, he was welcomed by the Supreme Leader's representative and Friday prayer's imam of the province, the governor-general and a group of local officials.

On Thursday, Raisi delivered a speech to a huge crowd in Birjand in which he said the enemy failed to undercut the popular support for the political system, according to the official website of the presidency.

Ayatollah Raisi described popular support as the most important component of the country's authority and security and said, "Many countries rely on military hardware and weapons for their power, but the power of the Islamic Republic of Iran is derived from the huge support of the people, which we desperately need in the country today."

Stating that the enemy is trying to weaken the huge and powerful popular support for the system, the president clarified, "Our people have been wise and patient in all kinds of conspiracies that have been hatched and implemented by the enemy since the beginning of the revolution, especially in the recent conspiracy."

In another part of his speech, Ayatollah Raisi pointed out the problems of South Khorasan province and said, "We in the Popular Administration consider solving these problems and eliminating deprivation from some parts of this province as a duty and priority for us."