The First Message of His Eminence Ayatullah Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

مَا نَنسَخْ مِنْ ءَآیَةٍ أَوْ نُنسِهَا نَأتِ بِخَیْرٍ مِّنْهَآ اَوْ مِثْلِها

“We do not abrogate a sign or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth one better than it or one similar to it.” (Qur’an 2:106)

Peace be upon you, O caller to God and interpreter of His signs. Peace be upon you, O gate of God and guardian of His religion. Peace be upon you, O vicegerent of God and defender of His truth. Peace be upon you, O proof of God and guide to His will. Peace be upon you, O the awaited and foremost one. Peace be upon you with all forms of peace. Peace be upon you, my master, the Lord of the Age.

At the beginning of my words, I must offer my condolences to my master, may God hasten his noble reappearance, on the painful martyrdom of the great leader of the Revolution, the beloved and wise Khamenei. From that noble presence, I request prayers for each and every member of the great nation of Iran, indeed for all Muslims of the world, for all servants of Islam and the Revolution, for the self-sacrificing defenders, for the families of the martyrs of the Islamic movement, especially those of the recent war, and also for this humble servant.

The second part of my words is addressed to the great nation of Iran. First, I must briefly explain my position regarding the vote of the honourable Assembly of Experts. This servant of yours, Sayyid Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, learned of the result of the vote of the honourable Assembly of Experts at the same time as you through the broadcast of the Islamic Republic of Iran. For me to sit in the place where two great leaders, Imam Khomeini the Great and the martyred Khamenei, once sat is a difficult task. This seat had been occupied by someone who, after more than sixty years of struggle in the path of God and after renouncing various forms of worldly pleasure and comfort, became a radiant jewel and a distinguished figure not only in the present age but throughout the history of the rulers of this land. Both his life and the manner of his death were intertwined with a majesty and dignity arising from reliance upon the Truth.

I had the honour of visiting his body after his martyrdom. What I saw was a mountain of steadfastness, and I heard that his healthy hand was clenched into a fist. Those who are knowledgeable about the various aspects of his personality must speak for a long time about them. In this brief moment, I suffice with this summary and leave the details for other appropriate occasions. This is the reason why assuming the seat of leadership after such a person is difficult. Filling this gap will only be possible through seeking the help of God and with the assistance of you, the people.

At this point, it is necessary to emphasize an issue that is directly connected to the essence of my message. Among the great qualities of the martyred leader and his great predecessor was their ability to bring the people into every arena, continually grant them insight and awareness, and, in practice, rely upon their strength. In this way, they actualized the true meaning of the people and of republicanism, and they sincerely believed in it from the depths of their hearts. The clear result of this could be seen during the few days when the country was without a leader and without a commander-in-chief. The insight and intelligence of the great Iranian nation during the recent events, along with its steadfastness, courage and presence, caused friends to admire and enemies to be astonished. It was you, the people who led the country and guaranteed its authority.

The verse placed at the beginning of this writing means that no sign among the signs of God is removed or forgotten except that God replaces it with one like it or better than it.

The reason for using this noble verse is not that this servant could be equal to the martyred leader, let alone superior to him. Rather, the purpose of mentioning the verse is to draw attention to the rightful and significant role of you, the beloved nation. If that great blessing was taken from us, in its place, once again, the Ammar-like presence of the Iranian people was granted to this system. Know this well. If your power does not appear on the stage, then neither the leadership nor any of the various institutions whose true function is to serve the people will possess the necessary effectiveness.

For this reality to be realized properly, several matters are necessary. First remembrance of God the Exalted, reliance upon Him and seeking the intercession of the pure lights of the infallibles, peace be upon them all, must be regarded as the supreme elixir and rare catalyst that guarantees various openings and decisive victory over the enemy. This is a tremendous advantage that you possess, and your enemies lack.

Second, the unity among the various segments and classes of the nation, which usually becomes especially visible during times of hardship, must not be damaged. This will be achieved by overlooking points of disagreement.

Third, effective presence in the arena must be preserved, whether in the form that you displayed during these days and nights of war or through various forms of meaningful participation in social, political, educational, cultural and even security spheres. The important matter is that the correct role be properly understood and implemented without harming social unity. One of the responsibilities of the leadership and certain officials is to remind the people of some of these roles.

For this reason, I remind you of the importance of participating in the Quds Day ceremonies of 1447, in which the element of confronting the enemy must receive everyone’s attention.

Fourth, do not neglect helping and supporting one another. Praise be to God, this has always been a trait of most Iranians, and it is expected that in these particular days, when the circumstances naturally weigh more heavily on some members of the nation than on others, this spirit will manifest itself even more strongly. In this same context, I ask the service institutions not to withhold any form of assistance from those dear members of the nation and from the grassroots aid structures that support them.

If these matters are observed, the path toward days of greatness and glory will be opened for you, the beloved nation. The nearest example of this, God willing, may be victory over the enemy in the present war.

The third part of my words is sincere gratitude to our brave fighters who, in circumstances where our beloved nation and homeland have been unjustly attacked by the leaders of arrogance, have blocked the enemy’s path with decisive blows and have removed their illusion of dominating our homeland or even dividing it.

Dear brothers in arms, the desire of the masses of the people is for continued effective and deterrent defense. It is also certain that the instrument of closing the Strait of Hormuz must continue to be used. Studies have also been conducted regarding the opening of other fronts where the enemy has little experience and where it will be highly vulnerable. If the conditions of war continue and if it accords with national interests, these fronts may be activated.

I also extend my sincere thanks to the fighters of the Resistance Front. We consider the countries of the Resistance Front to be our best friends and the cause of resistance, and the Resistance Front is an inseparable part of the values of the Islamic Revolution. Without doubt, cooperation among the members of this front shortens the path toward overcoming the Zionist sedition. As we have seen, the brave and faithful Yemen did not cease defending the oppressed people of Gaza and Hezbollah despite all obstacles, has come to the aid of the Islamic Republic and the resistance in Iraq, which has courageously followed the same path.

The fourth part of my message is addressed to those who have suffered harm during these past few days. This includes those who have experienced the loss of loved ones through martyrdom, those who have been wounded and those whose homes or workplaces have been damaged. First, I express my deep sympathy with the families of the noble martyrs. This comes from a shared experience I have with them. Apart from my father, whose loss became a public grief, I have also sent my beloved and loyal wife, in whom I had great hopes, my devoted sister, who had dedicated herself to serving our parents and ultimately received her reward, her young child and the husband of another sister, who was a learned and honourable man to the caravan of martyrs. Yet what makes patience in the face of these tragedies possible and even easier is attention to God’s certain promise of a great reward for the patient. Therefore, we must remain patient and maintain hope and trust in the help and grace of God.

Second, I assure everyone that we will not abandon the revenge for the blood of your martyrs. The revenge we seek is not limited to the martyrdom of the great leader of the Revolution. Every member of the nation who is martyred by the enemy becomes an independent case in the file of retribution. A limited portion of this revenge has already taken tangible form, but until it is fully realized, this file will remain open above the others, and we will be especially sensitive regarding the blood of our children. Therefore, the crime deliberately committed by the enemy against the Shajareh Tayyibeh School of Minab and similar incidents hold a special place in this process.

Third, the wounded from these attacks must certainly receive proper medical treatment free of charge and benefit from certain additional privileges.

Fourth, as far as the current circumstances allow, sufficient measures must be defined and implemented to compensate for financial damages inflicted upon homes and personal property. These last two matters are binding obligations for the responsible authorities who must implement them and report the results to me.

One point that must be emphasized is that we will, in any case, demand reparations from the enemy. If they refuse, we will take from their property in an amount that we deem appropriate, and if that is not possible, we will destroy an equivalent amount of their property.

The fifth part of my message is addressed to the leaders and influential figures of some countries in the region. We share land or maritime borders with fifteen countries, and we have always desired warm and constructive relations with all of them. However, the enemy has gradually established bases, both military and financial, in some of these countries in order to secure its domination over the region.

During the recent aggression, some of these military bases were used. As we had clearly warned beforehand we responded by targeting only those bases without attacking the countries themselves.

From now on, we may be compelled to continue doing so, although we still believe in the necessity of friendly relations with those neighbours. These countries must determine their position regarding those who have attacked our homeland and killed our people. I advise them to close those bases as soon as possible because by now they must have realized that America’s claim of establishing security and peace is nothing more than a lie.

This will strengthen their bond with their own peoples who are generally dissatisfied with cooperation with the front of disbelief and its humiliating behavior and it will increase their wealth and power. I repeat that the Islamic Republic does not seek domination or colonial control in the region but is fully prepared for unity and sincere mutual relations with all neighbours.

In the sixth part of my message, I address our martyred leader. O leader, by your departure, you have placed a heavy grief in the hearts of all. You always longed for this end until finally God granted it to you while you were reciting the Noble Qur’an on the morning of the tenth day of the blessed month of Ramadan. You endured many injustices with dignity and patience and did not show distress. Many did not truly recognize your worth and perhaps many years will pass before the veils and obstacles are removed, and some aspects of your greatness become known.

We hope that through the station of nearness you now possess among the pure lights, the truthful ones, the martyrs and the friends of God, you will continue to care for the progress of this nation and of all the nations of the Resistance Front and intercede for them just as you did during your earthly life. We pledge to you that we will strive with all our strength to raise this banner, the banner of the front of truth, and to realize your sacred goals.

In the seventh part, I extend my sincere gratitude to all the noble figures who have supported me, including the grand religious authorities, the various cultural, political and social personalities and the members of the public who participated in the magnificent gatherings to renew their allegiance to the system. I also thank the officials of the three branches of government and the temporary leadership council for their wise measures and actions.

I hope that the special divine blessings during these blessed hours and days will encompass the entire Iranian nation and indeed all Muslims and the oppressed people of the world.

Finally, I ask our master, may God hasten his noble reappearance, that during the remaining nights and days of Qadr and the blessed month of Ramadan, he supplicate before God for our nation to achieve decisive victory over the enemy and for honour, prosperity and well-being for our people and for elevated stations and eternal peace for those who have passed away.

Peace be upon you and the mercy of God and His blessings.