Mashhad, IRNA – Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said in his New Year address at Imam Reza's holy shrine categorically dismissed Iran's involvement in Ukraine war as sheer lie.

The Supreme Leader who was speaking on the first day of the solar New Year, 1402, after a three-year hiatus due to the Corona pandemic initially appreciated the efforts made by the Iranian scientists, doctors, and nurses, some of whom invented the Corona vaccines, some mass produced them, and some sacrificed their lives while serving the patients.

The Supreme Leader emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue supporting the resistance front and dismissed the false claim that Iran is participating in Ukraine war.

"We categorically deny any presence in the Ukraine war. They deceitfully claimed that Iran was involved in the war in Ukraine; it is absolutely wrong; we have no involvement," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

The Supreme Leader pointed out that the US created the war in Ukraine war to expand the NATO. and the US is currently receiving the highest benefit from the war in Ukraine, adding, "The people in Ukraine are in difficulty while weapon companies in the US are benefitting. Thus, the US is obstacle in the way to end the war in Ukraine."

He, meantime, said that what the enemies are after and call it evolutions, is changing the identity of the Islamic Republic, and eliminating anything that reminds the people of revolution and Islam.

"During the past three years there was a pandemic, which is mostly harnessed, and I feel obliged to wholeheartedly appreciate all those people who helped to harness that public hazard and disease," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

He then spoke on the need for drastic changes in the system, but strongly condemned those who argue that the constitution must be changed, calling them lunatics.

Ayatollah Khamenei said that the enemies are opposed to the Islamic Revolution, Imam Khomeini, and celebrating the anniversary of the revolution every year, as well as opposing Islam and intending to replace the Islamic Revolution with a fake western democracy,

"In the past I have in a number of my lectures spoken about social evolution in our society and our political system, and today, too, I will elaborate in more details about the matter, as it is of great importance. The public opinion needs to be illuminated to know the dire needs of the country and the system," he added.

He pointed out that if the public opinion does not welcome an idea, it will not be materialized, and will merely remain scattered waves in the air, and said, "One will say something and it will be forgotten. Therefore, in order to materialize great demands and ideas they must be first presented to the people."

"What the enemy is after and names it as evolutions is changing the identity of the Islamic Republic," Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding, "They want to eliminate everything that remind the people of the revolution and Islam and are opposed to repetition of the Imam's name and teachings."

The Supreme Leader said that they are opposed to the leadership of the supreme source of jurisprudence, Velayat-e Faqhih, the Bahman 22nd rallies, the Quds Day, the presidential elections of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the people's strong presence at the scene.

He further said that what they intend to change is such things, and they call it structural evolutions, but they had better know that these are the Islamic Republic's points of strength.

The Supreme Leader said that he himself, too, is basic pro-evolutions, such as reforming the malfunctioning parts of the system, identifying the weak points and turning them into points of strength and serving the nation wholeheartedly.

"The enemy targets at Islamic democracy, which is hated by the global oppression. What they pursue in Iran is bringing to power a regime to be loved by the global oppressors, and a personal system to obey them, and present a deceitful democracy, which is all fake, and in their hands and obedient to them," Ayatollah Khamenei added.

He said that some are those who love this system, but sometimes make mistakes and in order to launch a good and reformist move they act carelessly, and harm the system's points of strength, adding, "If we will not to harm the points of strength, we must first know them."

Ayatollah Khamenei said that one of the most important points of strength of the Iranian nation is that "our Islamic society's internal power is very strong and solid".

He underscored that the Iranian nation are pious Muslims and have strong self-confidence.

"The sign of this strength is defeating a chain of enmities during the course of the past few decades. Which country, or revolution can you name that was targeted by incessant attacks of the strongest world powers for decades and survive, not coming down to its knees?," the Supreme Leader asked.

He said the Iranian nation managed to stand strong against that long chain of plots and deceitful acts of the enemy.

"In confrontation with coup, sanctions, political and media invasions this nation stood strong. They launched media invasions for Iran phobia, which was unprecedented. Which nation had resisted against the security plots of the enemies, but the Iranian nation, which shows internal strength of this nation?"

Ayatollah Khamenei further said that in recent unrests, they all entered and the president of a country like America clearly supported the internal unrests in this country, adding, "Some European countries' presidents and governments rapidly presented support for those unrests, which were by a very small percentage of the Iranian nation, not only in the words of their mouths, bus also by sending arms and munitions."

He pointed out that in fact, they had supposedly prepared themselves to weaken the Islamic Republic, but what happened at the scene was the contrary of their will. "The Islamic Republic showed that it is very strong."

"The westerners had also earlier than that tried to segregate Iran. But what happened in practice was getting weaker of the westerners, while we strengthened our relations with the Asian countries, cent per cent. In some parts we became a member of major coalitions. With Africa and the Latin America, we have strong relations and we are not at odd ends with them. Each of the European countries who will not blindly pursue the US policies, we are ready to work with them. Such advancements are the points of strength of Iran, which are created thanks to piety and trust in God," the Supreme Leader concluded.

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