Supreme Leader’s Speech to Naval Forces in Bandar Abbas

Supreme Leader’s Speech to Naval Forces in Bandar Abbas
24/07/2011

The following is the full text of the speech delivered on July 24, 2011 by Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic in a meeting with the naval forces of the Army and the Revolutionary Guards in the port city of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

I am thankful to Allah the Exalted who gave me this opportunity to renew our covenant and hold another meeting with you dear youth and you dear commanders and personnel [of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Navy].

I assure you that what you are doing in the naval forces of the Army and the Revolutionary Guards is one of the most effective things that can be done: making up for the backwardness that we suffered for many years because satanic governments failed to prepare the ground for the progress of our maritime industry and the presence of Iran's Navy [in international waters]. Today you should make intensified efforts and compensate for those years of backwardness.

As we all know, the sea provides a great opportunity for a country to make progress and to protect its national interests. The sea brings about strategic advantages for a country and a nation: considerable and wide-ranging advantages. Certain countries managed to spread their power to far-away territories in four centuries by controlling the sea and developing maritime industry. Nations were oppressed. Territories were occupied. National resources were squandered. But through these oppressive measures, the governments and countries that had control over the sea managed to gain power and accumulate wealth for themselves. For many years the nations of our region - both in the Persian Gulf and in the Gulf of Oman - were used to obeying the bullying people who entered this region sailing in their warships. The nations of our region had to keep silent and listen to them.

There was a day when English warships used to come to the strategic Persian Gulf region and give orders from the warships. And there were certain people who thought it was their duty to carry out the orders given by the commanders of those English warships. This was the case in this region for many years.

Today everything has changed. The long coast that belongs to the Iranian nation is being controlled by an independent government and a proud and vigilant nation - a nation that relies on Allah the Exalted, a nation that knows its power and is proud of it, a nation whose willpower overwhelms any domineering political and military power, a nation that forces back all those who want to impose their rule on nations.

In spite of the unpleasant and detrimental presence of warships from different European and North American countries, today the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman are free and independent, thanks to the presence of the Islamic Republic and the powerful Iranian nation.

There was a day when certain people used to come to our region and determine the destiny of this region through their military presence, but those days are gone. There may be some people among the regional rulers who might still want to act according to foreigners' orders. But today nations have awakened. Nations are vigilant. Today nations know that foreigners' military presence in a region - in any region and not just in our region - is a source of insecurity for that region. The same is true of our region: foreigners' military presence is the source of insecurity for our region as well. The security of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman will be ensured only through the presence of the countries of the region and their cooperation. The benefits of these waters belong to everybody. The advantages belong to the nations of the region. How can the regional nations use these blessings to further their national interests? By gaining power. This power can be ensured by you members of the Armed Forces who are very familiar with the meaning of jihad and selflessness.

Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, we have never provoked any power or any country into confrontation and war. And we will try as much as we can to avoid any kind of calculated or accidental confrontation. We are a peace-loving nation. But those who want to further their interests through military presence and conventional bullying should feel that they are faced with a powerful nation. And you members of the Navy - who have been deployed along this long coast - are the manifestation of our nation's power at sea

Every day and night of your life and any operational, logistical or training responsibility that you have is a good deed, a measure to further the interests of the Iranian nation and to increase the glory of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Allah the Exalted will take all these selfless efforts into account and He will reward you for these efforts. Make as many efforts as you can on this sacred path in a sincere and selfless way and know that this country is indebted to you dear youth who show its power.

With the presence of the Armed Forces, there are many accomplishments to make in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Governmental organizations and different government officials have a duty to cooperate with the Armed Forces as much as needed so that these accomplishments can be made in the best possible way.

I am happy to be among you dear youth, government officials, managers and commanders of the Armed Forces in this region. I am thankful to God. As the dear youth said, I just want to tell you that Allah the Exalted will reward you and He will help you, your families and your relatives benefit from divine blessings and the prayers of the Imam of the Age (may our souls be sacrificed for his sake).

Greetings be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings

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