Statements at the Gathering of Pilgrims and Residents of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza on the First Day of the Year 1396

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

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, the infallible guides, especially the Awaited Savior, may God hasten his return. O God, send blessings upon Fatimah and her father, her husband, and her children, as many as Your knowledge encompasses. O God, send blessings upon Your guardian, Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha, as many as Your knowledge encompasses, with a lasting prayer as long as Your kingdom and sovereignty endure. O God, be for Your guardian, the Proof of God, al-Hujjah ibn al-Hasan, blessings upon him and his forefathers, at this hour and in every hour, a guardian, protector, leader, supporter, guide, and eye, until You settle him in Your land willingly and grant him a long life therein.

Another year has passed, and once again, the Almighty God has granted us the opportunity to gather under the shadow of the blessed shrine of Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha (peace be upon him) among you, dear brothers and sisters. In this atmosphere of solidarity and shared language with this great and fervent congregation, I wish to discuss matters concerning the country, the revolution, and essential issues. I express my gratitude to the Almighty God for this opportunity. The enthusiastic crowd gathered in this holy courtyard and around this place, including the residents of Mashhad and the esteemed pilgrims who have come to this region, this province, and this city due to the attraction of this great Imam, are all eager to hear the heartfelt words of the revolution and the system regarding various issues. In the time available today, I will address some of what needs to be said, hoping it will be guided by divine guidance and accepted at the divine threshold.

Dear brothers and sisters! This year is significant for the country; both due to the country's need for a major economic movement, which, God willing, the officials will contemplate and address, and also due to the upcoming presidential elections and the elections for city and village councils, which are also very important in their own right.

In the past year, 1395, despite the economic problems faced by the country, the Iranian nation shone brightly in two respects: first, in their adherence to the issues of the revolution and the values of the Islamic revolution and system, exemplified by the fervor of the massive march on the 22nd of Bahman and the gatherings of the people regarding revolutionary issues, which demonstrated the commitment, enthusiasm, and attachment of the Iranian nation to the revolution; second, the people's adherence to faith and religious matters. This year, according to reliable reports from across the country during the holy month of Ramadan, the month of Muharram, Safar, and other religious ceremonies, the fervor, presence, and attachment of the people to faith issues were greater than ever. In both matters related to the revolution and those concerning religious and faith issues, the presence of the people and the emergence of their lofty aspirations were more pronounced than ever. This is very important because, firstly, it showcases the direction of the Iranian nation's movement and its identity to both friends and foes. The march on the 22nd of Bahman is not related to a specific political taste, nor are the gatherings during Muharram, Ramadan, and the Arbaeen march related to a specific political taste; rather, they pertain to the entire Iranian nation and all the diverse political tastes in the country. Thus, this indicates that the direction of the Iranian nation's movement is revolutionary and religious, related to every political taste. Therefore, it highlighted the identity of the Iranian nation to both friends and foes. This is one.

Secondly, it demonstrated the public gathering of the people and national unity to everyone. When you look at the year 1395 from beginning to end, all events show these two important signs: they demonstrate the solidarity of the people on fundamental life issues despite differing opinions on various secondary and political matters; however, on the main direction, which is the direction of the system and the revolution, the people are aligned and united. This shows the attachment of the people to the revolution, the system, and religious and faith issues; this has manifested itself in the world, and it has been highlighted to both friends and foes; this pertains to the year 1395.

Of course, there were bitter events throughout the year, the latest being the tragedy of the brave firefighters who sacrificed their lives, which was a heartbreaking incident. Bitter events always exist; the main thing is that the determination and will of the people and the direction of their movement should be promising and indicative of progress, which, thanks be to God, has been the case.

I say that this national need remains strong this year. The Iranian nation must demonstrate its national unity, show its commitment to the revolution and the system, and prove its adherence to religious and faith matters; they must showcase the direction of their movement to the enemies of Iran, the enemies of the Islamic Republic, and the enemies of the Iranian nation. For this reason, I have chosen today's discussion.

Today's discussion revolves around two topics: one issue pertains to the economic matters of the country, which, of course, I will present in a way that is understandable for our dear people, and they should pay attention to it and demand it from us officials. I will discuss the economic issue; God willing, I will also present some points regarding the elections, which is the second topic of my discussion today.

Dear brothers and sisters! The issue of the economy is a priority for the country; not just this year, but for several years, this issue has been at the top of the urgent priorities of the country, and the need for a significant economic movement in a correct and well-planned manner has been evident over these years, and some actions have been taken, which I will refer to. The priority of the Iranian nation today is the economic issue, and pay attention that the priority of the enemy is also the economic issue; that is, today the enemies of the Islamic Republic are pursuing economic strategies, or to put it more accurately, they are seeking to inflict economic damage on the Iranian nation to achieve their goals regarding Iran, Iranians, and the Islamic Republic. The enemy's goal is to dishearten and alienate the Iranian nation from the Islamic system and the Islamic Republic through economic pressure and to create a distance between the Iranian nation and the Islamic system, pursuing their objectives through this means. Of course, I tell you that our ignorant and faithless enemy has been trying for years to separate the nation from the system, but they have not succeeded; after this, with God's grace, they will not succeed either. Well, the enemy does not succeed, but we are obliged to raise this issue; for its importance, for the attention of the officials to it, for creating bonds and cooperative relationships between the people and the officials in the economic sphere; because the economic issue, the livelihood of the people, is a very important matter, and I will make some remarks in this regard; of course, briefly in the first message of the year, I conveyed to the Iranian nation yesterday, and today I will elaborate a bit on the issue. Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) in his supplication to the Almighty God says: "And we seek refuge in You from extravagance and from the lack of sufficiency;" this indicates the importance of the economic issue that Imam Sajjad requests from the Almighty God and seeks refuge in Him. From extravagance and from the lack of sufficient livelihood resources, this indicates the importance of the economic issue. Therefore, we must discuss this matter.

However, before entering the main discussion, I would like to emphasize two points and remind you dear attendees and those who will hear this speech later of these two points:

The first point is that the enemy, in its extensive propaganda, tries to attribute the deficiencies in the livelihood and economic situation of the country to the Islamic system and the Islamic Republic; this is the enemy's plot. They want to portray that the Islamic system has been unable and is unable to solve the economic problems of the Iranian nation and to untie the knots; they want to exploit this to attack the Islamic system. This statement stems from their hatred and animosity towards the Islamic system. This is a false statement; the services that the Islamic system and the Islamic Republic have provided to Iran and the Iranian nation during this period are remarkable and extraordinary services. If we compare the situation of the nation and the country with the pre-Islamic era, that is, during the time of tyranny, it becomes clear what great and valuable services the Islamic system has provided. Yes, there are weaknesses; these weaknesses are related to our management, to the deficiencies and incapacities of managers who have been working in various sectors; however, the Islamic system has nurtured capabilities within itself and trained managers who have been able to accomplish very significant tasks for the country over these thirty-some years, even while the nation has been under pressure from sanctions and economic pressures from enemies.

I will present a few examples. Of course, these are just examples that I mention, and the list of services of the Islamic Republic is much longer than this. Look! The population of the country has doubled from the beginning of the revolution to today. That is, it has increased from about forty million to nearly eighty million; however, what has happened and the works that have been done in various fields are not merely a matter of doubling or tripling; rather, the figures are extraordinarily significant.

In terms of infrastructure, significant work has been done in the country that, truthfully, by any standard or measure that one compares with other countries, is very large and immense. For example: the roads of the country have increased sixfold during this period; the capacity of the country's ports has increased twentyfold; the reservoir dams of the country, which provide drinking water and agricultural water, have increased thirtyfold; the country's electricity production has increased fourteenfold; non-oil exports have increased fifty-sevenfold - before the revolution, during the time of tyranny, the country's exports were almost limited to oil and a small amount of other produced goods that were almost negligible alongside oil exports; today, non-oil exports have increased fifty-sevenfold - the production of petrochemical products has increased thirtyfold, and the production of steel products has increased fifteenfold; these are infrastructural works; any country that wants to gain momentum and achieve economic progress needs these things; these works have been accomplished during the revolution.

In the field of science and technology, since the beginning of the revolution, the number of students has increased twenty-fivefold; at the beginning of the revolution, all the students in the country were just over two hundred thousand; today, nearly five million students are studying in the country; scientific articles have increased sixteenfold; and there are many other scientific and technological activities.

In terms of social and human development, the indicators are very high. In terms of services - service provision - to the people - such as electricity, gas, telephone, and the development of villages - the statistics are very good and promising. In terms of military activities, the statistics are extraordinary; a country that, before the victory of the revolution, was completely dependent on foreign countries - even on enemies like America - today has made such remarkable military advancements that it astonishes the enemy and makes them angry, worried, and furious.

All of these are the achievements of the Islamic system; these are the works that the Islamic system has accomplished. I mentioned that if I were to list these, it would be a very long list, and there are works that are even greater and higher than these. Of course, the revolution does not stop, progress does not stop; there are many works that need to be done, and with God's grace, they will be done, and in the general policies of the Islamic system, it has been specified what works need to be done in the future.

Well, we have also had weaknesses, and they have not been few; I am aware of the weaknesses of the activities of the country's officials - including myself - at the level of the entire Iranian nation and over the years; there have been many weaknesses that are related to our management, not to the general movement of the Islamic system. Wherever we have had an active, dynamic, revolutionary management, work has progressed; wherever we have had weak, lethargic, hopeless, non-revolutionary, and inactive management, the works have either stalled or deviated. This is an issue that exists; it is a flaw and a weakness that exists; our managers must, God willing, be more motivated, more efficient, and make greater efforts, and with God's grace, this will happen. I firmly state that if management in various sectors of the country is committed, revolutionary, and efficient, all the problems of the country will be solved; we do not have any unsolvable problems in the country. This was one point that was mentioned.

The second point is that the capacities of the country are very high; our capabilities and potentials in the country are abundant; that is, when we express hopes for the future and say that these works must be done or we say these works will be done, this is based on the capacities and potential abilities of the country. Our country, both in terms of human resources and natural resources - underground, surface, and various facilities - is considered one of the wealthy countries. In terms of human resources - as we mentioned - five million students are a tremendous wealth for the country; in addition to this, we have about ten million university graduates who can perform various tasks. We have thirty-three million young people who are of working age - that is, between fifteen and forty years old - in the country; that is, we are a young country [with] the ability to work. According to the opinions of experts and specialists, the best working age for capable individuals - both men and women - is between fifteen and forty years, and in this regard, our situation in the country is, thanks be to God, very good, with thirty-three million of the country's population in this age range, who can work and carry heavy burdens on their shoulders. In terms of underground resources, we are advanced in the world. I once mentioned that the population of the country is about one percent of the world's population, but almost all of our main resources are more than one percent; some are two percent, some three percent, some five percent; that is, we have ample resources. In this first session of the year - a year or two ago - I said that in terms of oil and gas resources combined, we are first in the world; that is, we are the best and wealthiest country in the world in terms of oil and gas resources combined; I said that we are in the first rank. Recently, I was given statistics, and it became clear that we are also first in the world in terms of gas alone; that is, no country has as much oil and gas as our country, and regarding gas, no country in the world has as much gas as we do, which is now one of the important energy resources. Well, this country is a wealthy country; it is no wonder that our enemies - that is, the arrogant powers, America and the like - have set their greedy eyes on this country and want to bring it under their control. Of course, this has always been their wish, and this wish will not be fulfilled, and they will certainly take this wish to their graves.

Well, let us enter the discussion regarding the economy; time is limited, and I must be able to present everything I want to say, even if briefly.

Look, what do we want for our country and our nation? We want the nation and the country to reach where? We want national security, national dignity, public health, public welfare; we want comprehensive progress, independence from global arrogant powers, the flourishing of talents, and liberation and salvation from social harms - such as addiction, corruption, and the like; these are what we want for the country; these are the things we pursue in terms of material issues for our country. The nation will only achieve comfort when these materials are provided for it within the country. Well, how can these be obtained? How can national dignity, national security, and national power, comprehensive progress be achieved? I say that without a strong economy, these cannot be achieved. Our need is for a strong economy, strong production, accompanied by strong management; this is our need: a strong and reliable economy, self-reliant, so that our hands are not extended towards others, so that we can choose, so that we can move, so that we can act, so that we can influence oil prices, enhance the value of the national currency, and increase the purchasing power of the people; without such a strong economy, we will not achieve lasting dignity, nor lasting security; these things must be secured. This is the importance of the economy. And of course, without national unity, it cannot be achieved; without the public bond of the nation with the system, these desires cannot be fulfilled; without a revolutionary culture, it cannot be achieved; without brave, active, and hardworking officials, these desires will not be fulfilled. We need all of these, and we can secure them. [Thus] one of our major current problems is the economic issue.

Well, we have raised the issue of resistant economy and said it; friends and responsible actors in the executive branch and other state apparatuses have pursued this issue with interest and have made plans and taken actions. Well, these actions are good, and I will refer to some of them, but what is evident today and visible before our eyes is that our economic gaps are significant gaps. One issue is unemployment; especially the unemployment of young people and particularly the unemployment of educated youth. This is a gap, a hole. This must be addressed. The issue of the livelihood of the lower classes [is important]; we constantly follow the information and become aware of the situation of the people in various parts of the country; the people are facing problems regarding their livelihood. There is the issue of unemployment, the issue of livelihood difficulties; and various problems that arise in cultural and social aspects following these.

Well, I mentioned that the enemy also focuses on these and propagates about them. Economic experts, those who are knowledgeable in economic matters, see the main problem in recession and unemployment; they are right. One issue is unemployment, and one issue is the recession of production and the lack of production within the country. Well, these are part of the resistant economy, but the resistant economy is a comprehensive concept. If we can break down this concept and focus more on important aspects of it at every opportunity, we will certainly be able to achieve good results from it.

In the year 1395, good works were accomplished. It is right to appreciate the efforts that the respected officials have made. At the beginning of last year, I emphasized a lot on small and medium enterprises in this same first session of the year; the officials decided to assist small and medium enterprises; they allocated fifteen trillion tomans in budget to stimulate about twenty thousand small enterprises and activate them and bring them out of recession; they took action, of course, it was a bit late, but eventually, the action started and was carried out. Well, this action was a good action, but in every good action, what is necessary is supervision and continuity. If the necessary supervision and attention are not given in the continuation of the work, the work will not reach its conclusion; or it will not reach the desired conclusion. I sought explanations from those who were involved in this matter and investigated through various means, and I found that the work has progressed, but not to the extent that the costs incurred. The work has made some progress, but not as much as was intended and should have progressed and been accomplished. We must ensure that the measures of the officials and the executive policies can lead to final results.

Today, our problems in some of the indicators are numerous. Some indicators are good; for instance, the inflation rate shows a decrease, which is good, but the unemployment rate shows an increase, meaning unemployment has risen. These are the official statistics from the officials themselves. Or, for example, economic growth shows a positive trend, but investment growth is negative; this is one of the fundamental and major flaws. Or, for example, in some sectors - like the oil sector - we have progress, but in some other sectors - like mining, like housing - we have regression. That is, the official statistics do not convince one that the general movement is towards resolving economic problems.

Well, now let us move past the past and look to the future. What I see as a priority and key point regarding the future is production; national production, domestic production. My recommendation, my request, my demand is to focus on domestic production. Domestic production is a key term. We mention these so that, firstly, since these words are being said in the presence of the Iranian nation, the respected officials pay attention to this and focus on it; secondly, the public opinion of the people is directed towards this issue that is our current focus. I feel that the foundation of work for this period of the economy of the country is the issue of national production and domestic production. This is a key term; multiple chapters stem from this issue. If we can stimulate domestic production, employment will be created, and the problem of unemployment - which is one of the calamities of our country today, and the unemployment rate is high - will be resolved or reduced.

Here, I have mentioned several characteristics, which of course each of these ten points requires substantial discussion; I must limit myself to just listing them. One of the chapters is employment. One of the chapters that arises from production is the flourishing of talents and the initiative of the youth. When the production market is vibrant and thriving, the talents of the youth will flourish, and they will bring forth initiatives.

Third, the non-consumption of valuable currency; that is, the currency of the country - which is important - will not be spent on consumer goods. Then, the activation of stagnant savings [for] those who have savings; if production flourishes in the country, the stagnant savings will circulate and generate wealth for the country.

A leap in exports; if there is production, exports will also leap, creating wealth and generating wealth for the country. Another benefit is the diminishing of the competition to flaunt foreign brands. Today, one of the major social and moral calamities we face is that we flaunt foreign brands; this clothing, this shoe, this bag, this product is from a famous foreign factory. I flaunt one, and another flaunts another; a competition arises in this regard; we can mitigate or prevent this cultural calamity and problem through stimulating production in the country.

One of the benefits of production is the elimination or reduction of social problems and anomalies; unemployment leads to corruption, delays in marriage, addiction; if unemployment does not exist, these will also disappear; production can be a remedy for these as well.

Creating national vitality; the very act of production in the country, when it takes off, creates a general and national vitality, which is itself a significant factor in the country's progress. The mineral capacities of the country - which today, unfortunately, we are very behind in this regard - will be utilized, and we can use the God-given resources that the Almighty has bestowed upon this nation. These are several titles and chapters; if you think, you will find more chapters; all of these are the results, effects, and benefits of stimulating production in the country.

Well, we say one word: production - national production, domestic production - but it requires facilities; do we have these facilities or can we obtain them? My answer is yes. We have these facilities today; some we have in actuality, some we can obtain. These facilities are mainly human resources, skills, capital, and the necessary and advanced tools for work; these are the things needed for successful production in a country. I believe that we have some of these tools and facilities already in the country, and we can also create some without facing significant difficulties.

However, regarding human resources; we mentioned that thirty-three million [people] of the country's population are of working age; that is, their age is between fifteen and forty years. Of course, those who are capable of working are more, meaning from fifteen to sixty-five years - which sixty-five years is considered the retirement age - fifty-five million [people] are in this age range, but those who are considered young and can actively work are at least thirty-three million workers. We have ten million university graduates, nearly five million students; these are wealth for the country. Those who are knowledgeable have informed us that the number of engineering specialists in our country ranks among the top in the world - even in advanced and large countries; that is, the capabilities in terms of human resources are abundant.

Capital; one of the things necessary for production is capital. It is often said that we do not have the necessary capital to compel producers to produce; I do not accept this. In addition to personal resources - which individuals have their own resources - the government has been able to establish the National Development Fund. Let me explain about the National Development Fund: this was one of the policies that was included in the general policies several years ago, and governments were obliged to include the National Development Fund in their programs. What is the National Development Fund? The meaning of the National Development Fund is that from the country's oil revenue - oil that we extract from the well without producing added value - a percentage is set aside each year to reduce the country's economic dependence on oil. We said initially twenty percent, then each year, a little [that is] three percent is added to this twenty percent; if these three percents were to be added until now, this year, thirty-six percent of oil revenue should have been allocated to the National Development Fund, meaning it would be saved in the National Development Fund, which would rescue the country from dependence on oil to this extent. And when this progresses, in a few years, oil will be completely separated from the country's economy, which is a great opportunity and a tremendous blessing for the country. One of the misfortunes of our country and some other countries is that their economies are dependent on oil; the control of oil is not in the hands of the producers, but in the hands of the consumers, in the hands of global powers; they are the ones who set prices, raise them, and lower them; in reality, the oil producer is passive in this regard against the powers. If a country can separate its economy from oil while still having oil, that country will certainly progress several times over. This National Development Fund was established for this purpose. Of course, in the year 1394, government officials said that oil revenues had decreased - both sales had decreased and prices had dropped - they requested and expressed the necessity to use the Leader's authority so that the twenty percent would not increase, and only the twenty percent would be taken; we accepted this and granted the government permission to only save the twenty percent in the fund. This fund is meant to provide money to the private sector - that is, to the domestic producer - and empower them to initiate production; this became capital. That is, empowering the private sector through the National Development Fund is a very necessary thing. The National Development Fund should be considered an opportunity for the country; this opportunity can be utilized for production and must be utilized for production; that is, the domestic producer can use this fund with the correct policies and planning of the governments. Thus, human resources are there, capital can be provided through the National Development Fund and the wealth of the people themselves. Therefore, production is feasible; the facilities for production exist in the country.

However, there are also requirements; there are responsibilities that we all must undertake. Both the general public, the government officials, the judicial officials, and the legislative officials have responsibilities; if these requirements are fulfilled, production will flourish. Now I will mention some of these requirements; I say this so that the public opinion of the people becomes aware of this issue and knows; we do not have a dead end; we do not have a path that we cannot move forward on; we can move forward; we just need to motivate ourselves a bit. One of the requirements is efficient, committed, and faithful management. Senior officials of the country must appoint efficient managers for the sectors related to production; they must appoint lively, enthusiastic, motivated, and strong managers. One of the requirements is that this is in the hands of the senior officials of the country.

One of the actions is to involve the people in production work; the people must be involved in production work. The policies of Article 44 that we announced a few years ago, all those who are knowledgeable in economic matters said this is a revolution in political work; well, they should pursue this; involve the people. The Islamic Republic, in the work of war and defense of the country - which is usually the work of governments and armies, not the work of the people; it is the work of armies, the work of governments - with proper management and correct selections was able to mobilize the people, bring them into this field, and win the war. When the people entered the defense of the borders - a task that pertains to governments and armies - they were able to advance; many of our military leaders are people and Basijis; they were Basijis and fought, and many were martyred; well, the economy is even more so. The economy is a people's work; if we involve the people in economic matters and let them play a role in the economy and production, it will certainly advance. This is another requirement.

One of the requirements is exports, which government officials must activate. I received a report from government officials that unfortunately, the majority of our exports, indeed the majority of our trade transactions from exports and imports, are with five or six countries; well, this is a mistake, this contradicts the resistant economy. We have emphasized this in the clauses of the resistant economy. One of the policies of the resistant economy is precisely this; expanding exports and expanding our export partners. It is not correct to limit ourselves to five or six countries; this requires the activation of officials, both in foreign policy and in other sectors.

Another requirement is the security of investment; this is the work of the judicial authorities and the security forces; they must ensure that the security of investment is preserved. One of the important tasks is the stability of policies; laws should not change constantly; this is the work of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. First, they should remove cumbersome regulations and obstacles, and secondly, they should create stability in laws and not introduce a new law every day that prevents investment.

The economic security and investment security that I mentioned are very important. Sometimes we have been negligent in these areas. For example, in a certain area of the country, an investment and a commotion arise, the media also enters and publicizes, and the people [also] come and spend their gold, homes, and everything on investment, then it becomes clear that there was fraud involved! Well, this contradicts economic security. We must preserve the security of production. Therefore, these are things that are among the essential requirements for production.

One of the very important issues in domestic production is the sense of responsibility among the people. Now I am on the side of the people; I present the demands and requests of the people, but the dear people should also know that the work is not only the responsibility of the officials; rather, the work is also the responsibility of the people themselves. The fact that we emphasize domestic production, well, domestic consumption is also expected. Why do people pay less attention to consuming domestic products? Of course, fortunately, recently some actions are being taken; some stores only offer domestic products. The Iranian consumer should prioritize what is produced domestically and not chase after foreign names and brands; this is one of the expectations.

One of the expectations is that our dear youth should truly seek work and that there should not be lethargy and irresponsibility. One of the tasks that truly falls upon the general public is this sense of responsibility; they must feel responsible. One example of irresponsibility is that in the work of some exported goods - which we receive news about in this regard - some exporters do things that make the foreign customer skeptical about our domestic production; for instance, suppose we arrange the large and good oranges in the front row of the box, and put the small and rotten oranges underneath. What is done in our exports must represent and reflect the good and correct actions of Iranians; if we do not act in this way, it is irresponsibility. [When] we send substandard goods, it is clear that the export market will be lost. I invite the entrepreneurs of the country to enter the field of production and, God willing, work will be done in this regard.

Two important issues exist in the realm of production: one is the issue of imports, and the other is the issue of smuggling. I have mentioned this before, I have warned about it, and I reiterate it now. The import of goods that are sufficiently produced domestically should be recognized as a religious and legal prohibition; what is produced domestically should not be imported from abroad. The fact that we look to see that our consumer goods, from food to clothing, to household items, to bags and shoes for some women, to school supplies and pens, come from abroad is a source of shame! One feels ashamed; one feels ashamed in front of the domestic producer, and also in front of the one who sends this product from abroad to us. With all the facilities available in the country, let us not allow this path to continue in this manner; we must truly prevent imports in the real sense. Some essential goods that can be produced domestically are still imported, while they can be produced here; even if we do not have them today and they are not produced today, they can be produced. A few years ago, I heard that fodder was being imported. We said, well, fodder should not be imported, with all these pastures and fields; they said fodder requires a certain product that is not produced domestically. We said, well, produce it! An agricultural product - now I have notes and its name is specified, I do not want to mention it specifically - can be produced and is feasible to produce domestically, well, produce it so that you do not have to import the fodder for your sheep from abroad. [Thus] one issue is imports, which is very important.

One [also] is the issue of smuggling. The smuggling of goods is very important. It is said that 15 billion dollars are spent on smuggling; this figure is a minimum that is mentioned today; this is a very high figure; it is said to be up to 20 billion and 25 billion! These are blows to the economy of the country; smuggling must be stopped. Of course, those responsible for combating smuggling should not lose sight of the main issue! We say go and fight against the smuggling rings. I say that from the official entry points of the country where smuggled goods enter, those who are responsible for this work are not committing treason; rather, negligence occurs, it is not treason. I have been informed that from a certain port - a specific port - three thousand to five thousand containers enter the country daily. Out of these three thousand or five thousand, only 150 containers are inspected! Well, why? The rest are not inspected and come in; once they enter the warehouse, it becomes clear that the goods are smuggled; [this is] from the official entry points of the country! Now, what comes in from unofficial borders is another discussion; or from free zones, it is the same; this must be stopped; and we can do it. I told the respected president the same thing and reminded him that those who are knowledgeable and informed said that we can bring in tools that can inspect these containers without needing to stop; well, they should create these tools; if necessary, buy or import or produce them. We can stop smuggling. Therefore, one of the important issues is smuggling. Our aim is this, not trivial matters; that they go to the Reza Bazaar in Mashhad and look for a certain silver ring seller and say, "You imported this illegally," or at the border, for example, they go after a family that is carrying a small item from this side of the border to that side, which is how they make a living; these issues are not the point; the issue is that massive movement of smuggling.

Time has passed, and our discussion has become very lengthy; I will conclude the economic issue here. Of course, there are many things to say in this regard, and what needs to be conveyed to the officials has been conveyed, and God willing, we will continue to convey it. And the same points I have mentioned, in our view, are expandable, explainable, and clarifiable, and those who are engaged in these matters should do so.

However, the issue of elections; dear brothers and sisters! Elections in our country are very important, not just the presidential election; the parliamentary elections are the same, and the council elections are the same. Elections are one of the two pillars of religious democracy. Religious democracy stands on two pillars; one of these pillars is the people's vote, elections. Thanks to elections, we take pride in the world. The enemies ignore our elections to undermine the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic and accuse us. This indicates that elections are very important. Elections are a source of national dignity; they strengthen the Iranian nation; they are a source of the Iranian nation's honor. Of course, regarding elections, God willing, I will speak again; what I say today regarding the issue of elections is that this is a phenomenon that generates power; the people of the world, the experts of the world have been captivated by the idea of religious democracy that emerged in the world. In contrast to various schools such as liberalism, communism, fascism, and the like, the great Imam introduced religious democracy, which is the Islamic Republic, into the arena and captivated nations and elites in all corners of the world, in all countries. This religious democracy is based on elections, and in elections, the Iranian nation must truly shine. What I express, and what is most important for me, is the public participation in elections and that all individuals who can vote and are subject to the law enter the elections and make them vibrant; this is our foremost demand and the most important demand.

What I say regarding elections is that the law must be strictly adhered to; the law must be strictly adhered to. Whatever the result of the people's elections is, it is valid, it is the law. I do not interfere in elections; I have never told the people and will not say, "Choose this person, do not choose that person." I only intervene in one case, and that is when some want to stand against the people's vote and break the people's vote with interference. Anyone who wants to confront the results of the people's votes, I will stand against them. In past years and previous elections, it has been the same; in 1376, in 1384, in 1388, in 1392; some were in front of the people's eyes, and the people became aware; some, however, the people were not aware, but I was informed. In all these years that I have counted, there were those who wanted to stand against the elections; this became evident in 1388, and they came to the field to rally, and in those other years, it was in a different manner. In all these years, I stood and said that whatever the result of the people's elections is must be realized; this is where I intervene in elections and stand against the opponents and adversaries of the elections; however, in other matters, no, the law must be strictly adhered to; the people must discern and act.

And I predict that, with God's grace, our elections will be vibrant, and the elections will be inclusive. We hope, God willing, that the outcome of the elections - both for the councils and for the presidency - will be something that brings divine satisfaction and the happiness of the Iranian nation. And I say, conduct the elections well; the nation will be honored, and the nation will advance with good elections, and the enemy, with God's grace, will not be able to do anything.

O Lord! Make what we have said and heard for You and in Your way, and accept it from us by Your grace. O Lord! Unite the pure souls of our martyrs and the pure spirit of the great Imam with the pure souls of the martyrs of early Islam. O Lord! Be pleased with these pure and luminous souls. O Lord! Be pleased with the sacred heart of the Awaited Savior (may our souls be sacrificed for him); make us soldiers on this path. O Lord! Make all of us, our lives, and our lifetimes end well; for this humble servant and for anyone who is interested, grant martyrdom as the last step of our lives.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.