Speech at the Allegiance Ceremony of the Commanders and Officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

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

I sincerely offer my condolences to all dear brothers. In the meetings I had with you brothers over the past years—both before the start of the war and during the war—I always took pride in speaking to you on behalf of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified), and I never thought that one day the Imam would not be here, and I would still speak to you as a colleague and official.

In any case, it was a heavy and great calamity for the world of Islam, and a great void was created. If there are those who must strive to somehow fill and compensate for this void, they are those who had more devotion to the Imam and felt a stronger and closer relationship with him. Undoubtedly, you dear brothers of the Guard are among the foremost and best individuals in this regard.

Your duty today, compared to the past and in relation to others, is greater. It is good to overcome our sorrows and make a ladder from our feelings towards the dear Imam to reach the peak of the ideals he showed us and always encouraged us to pursue.

He taught us that we can do anything, and warned us against fear and doubt. Let us strive, God willing, to unite our efforts and hearts, to traverse the path and reach the lofty destination that the great man showed us and guided us towards.

We were truly dead; Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) revived us. We were misguided; he guided us. We were oblivious to the great duties of humans and Muslims; he awakened us, showed us the way, took our hands, encouraged us, and himself moved ahead of everyone. We thank God that we believed in his words with all our being, followed him, did not stop, and did not abandon him halfway.

Thanks be to God, you have passed a great and difficult test. This war was a great blessing for you; it purified you and revealed the essence of your existence. If the war had not occurred, it would not have been clear how we would be and in what situation we would find ourselves.

I wish to present a few general points to you:

The first point is that as long as the Islamic Republic system is accompanied by the revolution, it should never be imagined that there is no threat against it. God forbid that the day comes when our society and revolution, like some so-called revolutionary countries that are only revolutionary in name but have no revolutionary issues or problems in the field of politics and have relations and harmony with all countries, and have no ideals in their view, reaches that point. God forbid that our fate reaches there and the Islamic Republic separates from the revolution and is not with it.

If our assumption is that we understand and accept the Islamic Republic as intertwined with the Islamic Revolution, then we must assume that enmity and threat against this revolution—which will exist like a spirit in the body of this republic—will always be conceivable, and the force that must defend the revolution is always necessary.

Of course, that force is the entire nation; but not all the people are armed. Which armed organization must ensure that it defends the revolution that is like a spirit in the body of this republic? Therefore, with such an understanding and feeling of the necessity of permanent presence and defense and the constant feeling of being in the trench, we must examine the issues of the armed forces, the Guard, and the country. Any other basis for analysis is wrong and unrealistic.

We must assume that we always have an enemy and the revolution is threatened. I do not mean to say that a war will definitely be waged against us; I do not have a specific form of threat in mind; but what I can believe in my heart is that the threat against the Islamic Republic system, which carries the revolution with it and has not separated from it, is perpetual. There is only one other possibility that we have rejected, and that is that the Islamic Republic exists, but the revolution no longer does; in that case, it is assumed that we would not have an enemy!

This is not conceivable at all. We have no definition for the Islamic Republic that aligns with the absence of the revolution or separation from it. All decision-making for the future must be based on this analysis and foundation.

I believe that if the Guard does not exist or is weak, it is impossible for us to defend against the threat that we consider certain. You are familiar with my views on the armed forces. Perhaps I have sat with many of you in small groups, two by two and three by three, and talked. You know my views. Just as Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) believed and until the end maintained that the Guard and the army should not be absorbed in favor of the other and disappear, but both should remain, I also hold the same view and have shared it with you many times. Even if I did not hold such a view, following Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) would require what I have stated.

The army, like the Guard, remains; but my belief is that the only force capable of defending the revolution and the Islamic Republic system in a revolutionary manner is only the Guard. If we do not have the Guard or have a weak one, we will not be able to defend the revolution. Of course, this is not a new belief. From the beginning when the Guard was formed, I held this belief, and throughout the war, this belief became clearer for us day by day.

Although we are not apparently in a time of war now and peace conditions have not been established, this view of the Guard will exist for many years. We do not predict or comment on any issue for two hundred or even one hundred years in the future; but within the scope of vision that a person can usually predict issues—at least for the next ten, twenty, thirty years—we say the situation is the same. After thirty years, whoever is there, we do not know what will happen and what decision will be made. For now, what we think and our scope of vision and analysis dictates is what I have shared with you.

The Guard must be strengthened in the true sense of the word. This is a duty that falls on both you and me. Attention must be paid to the spiritual aspect, meaning the spirit, thought, belief, sincerity, and those things that distinguish the Guard from other armed forces, and if they are taken from it, it means we do not have the Guard. Also, the administrative and military organization, the chain of command, the strength of management, scientific and combat capabilities, tools, and other necessary things must be taken seriously. These two aspects must be the basis of work.

Mistakes in understanding this issue and how to strengthen the Guard and its elements have always existed. Differences of opinion have often arisen from this. One person understood strengthening in one thing, and another in something else; one understood it more comprehensively, and another less so. We must not make such mistakes. We must have the Guard as a reliable, trustworthy, and effective force in the center of the revolution and the country. This is our goal, and every plan must be shaped based on this goal.

Today, within the Guard, there is so much faithful force that if we exclude one or two revolutionary institutions, perhaps in no other collection of the many and diverse collections of the country can we see so many good and sincere forces together; forces that have knowledge, innovation, experience, sincerity, enthusiasm, and hope. This is a great asset. If we can make good use of this asset, we will be proud before Almighty God; otherwise, we will have no excuse before Him.

The point I want to tell you briefly is to strive to prevent despair and doubt from entering the ranks of the Guard; fight against this severely. Last year, when the resolution to end the war was raised, wherever I went in the Guard, I saw this doubt. First, I saw it in the lower ranks, and then it was also visible in the higher ranks. These doubts are destructive.

What I could do at that time was to tell the brothers there is no room for doubt, and now we can practically show that this doubt is unfounded; however, an opportunity is needed to realize it practically and decisively in the country's atmosphere. You help ensure that during these intervals—especially with the shocking event of the loss of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified)—this doubt does not take root in hearts.

Sometimes, things are observed in legislative centers or the like that may cause doubt and concern. No phenomenon should cause doubt and concern. For a Guard member, nothing more than what I said is desirable; that is, having a strong, powerful, efficient Guard with great responsibility. In my opinion, this is the highest desire of a Guard member interested in the Guard. The decision-making regarding this matter is with us. It is not that a law or a decision or even a word or whisper in various centers should cause someone to doubt whether the Guard will continue with the desired power and capability or not. This doubt must be fought and opposed in minds.

Another point—which is not as fundamental but important—is that presence in the front and defensive lines must be strong. As I have heard, the Basij brothers are less engaged there than the conscript brothers. Perhaps the strength and authority expected in the defensive lines are not as much in some places. The strength of the defensive lines—especially in this period—must be at the highest level. This issue will be reflected in the spirit of the Guard members and those interacting with this institution. That is, if you assign someone a mission to be present in the area, if they observe a state of disorder and instability there, even if this person is hopeful, their hope will be shaken by observing that disorder. Whatever is possible must be done to strengthen the front lines.

The last point is that as much as you can, try to eliminate the state of misunderstanding and the spirit of discord that exists between these two military organizations—the army and the Guard. You saw how much Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) emphasized this issue. He emphasized unity, understanding, and affection—especially between the Guard and the army—and I think that loyalty to that great man requires that you try to eliminate this spirit of discord unilaterally from your side and turn it into a spirit of affection. If there is affection, efficiency will reach its peak; and if there is no affection and discord takes its place, there will be no efficiency.

You are at high levels, and your words influence a large number of Guard brothers. Almighty God will help you; because you are good brothers and truly and justly the embodiment of sacrifice, purity, and truth for the revolution, and you have shown this in the most difficult places and centers and brought it to fruition. Truly, there have been few tests of such magnitude.

I will also share a sentence with the dear clerical brothers. Although the right of these dear ones is more than one sentence, since my mind is entirely occupied with this issue, I say it as an expression of affection and devotion to the gentlemen. The dear clerical brothers who are present throughout the Guard must cherish and value this sensitive and important role greatly; because it is truly a determining role, and as I said, the strength and character of the Guard lie in its spirituality, and this spirituality is provided through you gentlemen and the respected scholars who are teachers of ethics, spirituality, and purification.

Both the brothers must appreciate you gentlemen, and you must consider the illuminated hearts of the faithful Guard brothers as an opportunity to imprint the best knowledge and the best qualities. God willing, this collection is a complete collection, and we hope that Almighty God will help both you brothers who are engaged in teaching and training, and you who are busy with organizing and administration, to bring this dear institution to its desired level and the position it deserves and the revolution needs.

I thank the respected gentlemen who arranged this good meeting, and I am happy to see you again after a long time. May God, God willing, preserve and support you. May the hand of the Lord always be your helper and supporter.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings