Supreme Leader Warns US of Endangered Energy Supply

A0196663.jpgTEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei Sunday warned the United States that any wrong move on Iran would “definitely endanger energy flow in the region.”

“If you make a wrong move on Iran, definitely the energy flow in this region will be seriously endangered,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a speech at ceremonies marking the 17th demise anniversary of the late Imam Khomeini.

Ayatollah Khamenei continued that the United States is not capable of securing energy supplies in this region, IRNA said.

Meantime the Leader stressed, “We do not initiate war.”

He said the Iranian nation has noble ideals and aspirations and is focusing on ways to achieve them.

Iran’s goals are to make the people happy by giving them material and financial security and making them a model for other nations.

“Iran is not a threat to anybody. We are committed to our national aspirations and interests and whoever hurls threats at us will experience the ire of the entire Iranian nation.”

He further reiterated that everyone knows that Iran is no threat to any country.

The Supreme Leader stressed that Iran has never threatened any of its neighbors.

“We have friendly relations with all in the region and in Asia. We have good and healthy relations with Europe, and in the near future, because they need our gas and energy, these relations will become even better,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

Referring to the friendly relations between Iran and the Arab states, the Supreme Leader reiterated that the Arab world supports Iran’s stance on Palestine.

Terming Tehran-Moscow relations as ‘good’, Ayatollah Khamenei said the Russians know very well how they would be treated if a pro-American government was in power in Iran.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the US has no right to comment on (violations of) human rights by other countries.

He reiterated, “The government that runs the Guantanamo jail and Abu Ghraib prison and has committed crimes in (the Iraqi city of) Haditha and recently in (the Afghan capital) Kabul has no right to speak of human rights.”

“You spent 300 billion dollars in Iraq to bring a government to power that will be your puppet and mercenary, but have failed,” said the Supreme Leader in his address obviously referring to the Bush administration and its allies.

“In Palestine, you did your best to prevent Hamas from coming to power, but the Palestinian people voted for Hamas in defiance of your wishes. And, thereafter, the ample pressures you imposed on the Palestinian government have even strengthened the solidarity between the Palestinian nation and government.

“As for Lebanon, senior US officers have stayed on in Beirut for years hoping they would eventually dominate the country, undermine the resistance and have an Israel puppet regime in power there, but the Lebanese people refused to follow your wishes.

“Why, Mr. Bush, do you not admit that your behavior has brought hatred for the US government and nation worldwide? Why do you not acknowledge that you have grown too weak and ineffective?

“Compare our president’s message to the US president with the impolite and insignificant message published a few days ago. It was a message far from diplomatic behavior, full of arrogance, hatred and also absurd.

“If you could damage the Islamic Republic, you would not have wasted even a single minute.”

Elsewhere in his speech, the Supreme Leader noted that against the former US secretary of state’s urging that the US uproot the Iranian nation, the nation instead has made lots of progress.

Ayatollah Khamenei said adherence to Islamic principles and guidance by supreme jurisprudence are the two main factors that will prevent defeat of the Islamic Revolution.

He said the revolution will survive and flourish because the Iranian nation is pious and committed to its ideals and ready to defend the constitution at all times.

“Those in the leadership rank will lose their legitimacy if they fail to defend Islamic aspirations and principles both theoretically and practically,” he added.

The Leader went on to say that the enemies have tried to defeat the revolution by targeting the two or three factors which ensure its survival.

“The Islamic Revolution cannot be impeded. Iranian society is a pious, religious community and religion and Islamic Revolution have great influence in various ranks,” declared the Leader.

Ayatollah Khamenei said the Iranian people believe in religion and are committed to the defense of religious values, which play an important part in their lives.

Meanwhile, he said that US President George W Bush is the most unpopular figure in the world.

“Your president, Mr. Bush, faces protests and public wrath wherever he steps on earth. In Latin America governments have come to power on anti-US slogans.

Presidential hopefuls in Latin America chant anti-US slogans and people vote for them. Isn’t this the climax of hatred?” asked the Supreme Leader.

In contrast, the Supreme Leader referred to the recent visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Indonesia and to visits of former Iranian presidents to various countries in which these officials received rapturous welcomes from their host countries’ officials and constituents.

“Why can’t you realize the implications and refuse to acknowledge them?” asked the Leader.

He said the situation in Iran today compared with that in the United States points to Iranians being far better off than their American counterparts.

Comparing the Iranian and US presidents, the Supreme Leader said that the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is one of the most popular since the constitutional movement in the country a century ago while President George W Bush, citing opinion polls, is one of most detested presidents in US history.

Elsewhere referring to Iran’s nuclear issue, he emphasized that no consensus has been reached in the international community on Iran’s nuclear program.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the facts are clear as far as the Iranian people and wise people of the world are concerned.

However, a lie is being propagated by the Americans and several of their allies, the Supreme Leader added.

“Enemies of the Islamic Republic say there is a global consensus against Iran or that Iran is pursuing an atomic bomb or nuclear weapons and is a violator of human rights,” the Supreme Leader said.

“The US and Zionist mass media have launched a propaganda war on Iran in order to sway international public opinion against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

“But Iran has won the support of 116 members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) as well as those of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC),” he pointed out, and stressed that independent countries of the world support Iran’s nuclear program.

“Even countries which supported the US in its allegations against Iran have made it known they were not acting freely and that US pressure made them parrot the allegations,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.

He further ruled out allegations in the US and the Zionist media that Iran is trying to produce an atomic bomb.

The Leader stressed, “The accusation that Iran is trying to produce an atomic bomb is false and a sheer lie.”

The Supreme Leader added, “We do not need a nuclear bomb. We consider nuclear weapons an affront to Islamic precepts.”

“Islamic Iran believes that production of nuclear weapons and maintaining an arsenal of these weapons is wrong,” he said.

“Our people’s faith is our nuclear bomb,” he added.

Meantime, Ayatollah Khamenei underlined that the Islamic Revolution of Iran cannot be defeated and will not fade.

He said adherence to Islamic principles and guidance by supreme jurisprudence are the two main factors that will prevent defeat of the Islamic Revolution.

The Supreme Leader said the revolution will survive and flourish because the Iranian nation is pious and committed to its ideals and ready to defend the constitution at all times.

He also warned that anyone who threatens harm to Iran’s interests will face the wrath of the entire Iranian nation.

“Iran does not intimidate anyone and will not hesitate to defend its ideals and national interests in the face of aggression. Anyone who threatens our country will face the wrath of the nation,” said the Supreme Leader.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the noble Iranian nation, with its power and dignity, had for years been kept backward by dictatorial powers and their cronies.

“We want to use the enormous and rich human and natural resources of Iran in the right place and free the country from the intimidation and bondage of the past several centuries.”

Ayatollah Khamenei, elsewhere in his speech, said that Iran had no problems with any country in the region or in Europe so much so that Washington felt it necessary to fan flames of hostility.

He also said that the Islamic Revolution is an exception among world revolutions.

The Supreme Leader quoted sociological studies as saying a revolution that continues to be powered by the enthusiasm and zeal of its supporters is bound to move forward.

When people’s enthusiasm and zeal fade, a revolution also fades, Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding that all great revolutions in the past 200 years followed this pattern, the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran being the only exception.

Elsewhere in his speech, the Supreme Leader emphasized the importance of the constitution, stressing that it embodies the aspirations of the Islamic Revolution.

Before the Islamic revolution, the Supreme Leader said the Iranian nation was unknown and downtrodden with its government dictated by influential foreign powers, but the revolution has turned it into the most impressive in the world.

“Iran’s enemies admit this fact,” he added.

Elsewhere referring to ‘political independence’ and ‘national and cultural self-belief as assets saved by the late Imam for the Iranian people’, Ayatollah Khamenei said the Iranian nation should safeguard these assets.

This is a historic asset, the Supreme Leader said adding, “It represents our political independence and national self confidence.” Ayatollah Khamenei further urged the people not to sell out this precious resource because of the enemies’ threats.

As to great natural and human resources in Iran, the Supreme Leader called for greater efforts to be made by officials to make up for the past problems and shortages.

The Supreme Leader said that Muslim nations have regained their true national and Islamic identity through the Islamic Republic of Iran and are grateful to the country.

Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the Palestinian, Iraqi and Lebanese nations as examples of nations that have regained their lost identity by taking the example the Islamic Republic of Iran has set.

The Supreme Leader said nations have made Islam and independence as among their aspirations and have pinned their hopes in achieving these ideals with hope and strong motivation.

The Leader added that the success of the Islamic Republic is the result of the great efforts and uprising of the late Imam Khomeini.

He went on to say that the main factor for the success of the revolution initiated by the late Imam was his faith in the holy Quran.

The Supreme Leader said various political, economic, natural, human and international factors are at work in a person’s development.

Elsewhere, he said that people should personalize the Islamic Revolution by saying this country and the ruling system which it serves are their very own.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that those who are in the service of foreigners and adversaries are outside this circle while those who approve of the late Imam Khomeini’s way and will are allies.

“Those who are enthusiastic about bringing US interests here are strangers given they support the goals and thoughts of the nation’s enemies,” added the Supreme Leader.

Turning to justice as the greatest need of human beings, Ayatollah Khamenei said that officials in charge of the three branches of power and administrative officials of the country should be ready to enforce justice, hoisting the flag and following the movement of justice.

Urging that science be taken seriously and pursued by everyone as a means of ensuring national power, the Supreme Leader said a country whose people are deprived of scientific knowledge will never manage to enforce its rights.

He said, “It is impossible to gain scientific knowledge by asking others to provide it since science comes from within and not the offshoot of national talent,” adding that science is absolutely essential for a nation to progress in the true sense of the word.

“Besides an atmosphere of unity, peace, faith and science, there should be justice as all these other requirements without justice in the community would be useless,” added Ayatollah Khamenei.

The Supreme Leader referred to the late Imam’s faith in Almighty God, in the people, in the path he had chosen and his certainty in the success of the revolution, and said that such deep faith gives the people the incentive to move, think and achieve progress.

“The individuals undermining the people’s faith serve the interests of the enemies which highly reward them.

“Those antagonizing the scientific movement in the country and aim to put an end to the scientific studies and research underway in the country’s universities as well as in scientific and research centers are agents of the country’s adversaries and receive their rewards from them,” added Ayatollah Khamenei.

The Supreme Leader said that individuals working against national security are out to distort national unity.

“On the pretext of protecting various moral codes, they hope to undermine the unity of Iranians. They actually work for the enemies,” added Ayatollah Khamenei.

The Supreme Leader said that organizations in charge will eventually have to identify the nation’s enemies, their agents in the domestic scene and their goals.

Nonetheless, he urged them to defend the nation’s rights, national security, research activities and efforts to achieve progress as a whole.

Elsewhere, elaborating on Imam Khomeini’s achievements, traits and characteristics, the Supreme Leader stated that the world’s awakening to Islam is among the major achievements of the late Imam Khomeini.

“Although the Imam has gone and he is no longer with us, he remains real to us and his thoughts, spirit and teachings remain with us and the Muslin ummah (nation) as a whole,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

Referring to the Islamic Republic of Iran as the brainchild of Imam Khomeini, the Supreme Leader said the awakening of Muslim nations and creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran topped his achievements.

Dozens of foreign dignitaries in Tehran and senior officials of the country were attending the commemorative ceremony for the late Imam.

Also gathered at his mausoleum were cabinet ministers, members of the Guardian Council and Experts Assembly, Parliament deputies and top brass military officials.

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