TEHRAN, Feb. 9 — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Monday urged Iranians to show unity and “disappoint the enemy” ahead of the 47th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, amid rising tensions with the United States.
In a televised address, Khamenei said national power relies more on “determination and resistance” than on military hardware like missiles and aircraft.
His remarks come as Iran prepares for nationwide rallies on Wednesday to mark the revolution’s victory. “Until the enemy is disappointed, a nation is exposed to persecution,” Khamenei said.
“The enemy must be disappointed.” He described the annual marches as a display of dignity that forces foreign powers to “retreat” from ambitions of interfering in Iranian affairs.
The speech follows a period of heightened friction with the United States, fueled by a U.S. military buildup in the Middle East and ongoing threats against Tehran.
Despite indirect nuclear negotiations between Iranian and U.S. delegations in Muscat, Oman, on Friday, significant gaps remain, leaving the prospect of a deal uncertain.
Khamenei expressed hope that this year’s anniversary would compel “other nations, governments, and powers to display modesty and reverence” toward the Iranian people.
The 1979 Islamic Revolution was a watershed moment that transformed Iran from a pro-Western monarchy into an Islamic republic.
Led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a diverse coalition of clerics, students, and secular activists overthrew Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was supported by the United States.
Iran and the United States severed diplomatic ties in 1980 after the Iranian people seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
