Imam Khamenei made the comments during a meeting in Tehran with a group of people from the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan on Wednesday.
On February 10, people from all walks of life rallied in different cities and towns across the country to celebrate the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which toppled the former US-backed regime and set the stage for the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Prior to the rallies, the Leader had called on the nation to attend the demonstrations en masse in response to the new US administration’s hostile rhetoric and threats against the Islamic Republic.
“These are the third and fourth generations of the Revolution, who are standing against the enemy and making themselves heard with determination,” the Leader said in reference to the youths that actively took part in the rallies.
Elsewhere in his comments, the Leader rejected as “sheer lies” claims that a military confrontation with Iran would have been imminent, had it not been for the nuclear deal that was signed between Tehran and the P5+1 group of states in July 2015.
“Why do they mention war? In order to divert minds towards war,” said the Leader, describing the economic pressure and sanctions as the “real war” against Iran.
The threat of a military action has been used as a strategy in dealing with the Islamic Republic by both the previous and current US administrations, Ayatollah Khamenei said.
Ayatollah Khamenei pointed to the enemy plots to pile up economic pressure against Iran to spread disappointment among the public, calling on to redouble their efforts to address the economic woes in the country, including unemployment and inflation.
The Leader also said enemies have failed in their attempts to portray the Islamic establishment in Iran as inefficient and such attempts amount to beating the air.
