New Year Message on the Occasion of the Beginning of Year 1404

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

O Turner of hearts and sights, O Manager of night and day, O Transformer of years and conditions, transform our state to the best of states.

The beginning of the new year coincides with the nights of Qadr and the days of the martyrdom of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him). We hope that the blessings of these nights and the attentions of the Master of the Pious (peace be upon him) will encompass our dear people, our nation, our country, and all those whose new year begins with Nowruz.

The year 1403 was a year full of events. The incidents that occurred this year were similar to the events of 1360 and brought hardships and difficulties for our dear people. At the beginning of the year, the martyrdom of the beloved President of the Iranian nation, the late Mr. Raisi (may God have mercy on him), occurred. Before that, the martyrdom of several of our advisors in Damascus took place. After that, various incidents occurred in Tehran and then in Lebanon, causing the Iranian nation and the Islamic Ummah to lose valuable elements. These were bitter events that took place. In addition, throughout the year, especially in the second half of the year, economic problems pressured the people, creating difficulties in their livelihoods. These hardships existed throughout this year; however, conversely, a great and remarkable phenomenon emerged, which was the demonstration of the willpower of the Iranian nation, the spiritual spirit of the Iranian nation, the unity of the Iranian nation, and the high-level preparedness of the Iranian nation. Firstly, in the face of an incident like the loss of the President, the massive farewell that the people gave, the slogans that the people raised, and the high spirit they showed demonstrated that this calamity, although heavy, could not make the Iranian nation feel weak. Then, they quickly managed to hold elections and elect a new President within the legally stipulated time, forming a government and bringing the management of the country out of a state of vacuum. These are very significant and indicative of the high spirit, capabilities, and spiritual strength of the Iranian nation. God should be thanked for this.

In addition to these events, in the recent months where many of our brothers in Lebanon—our religious brothers and Lebanese—faced difficulties, the Iranian nation was able to help them with patience. The incident that occurred in this regard, namely the flood of aid from the people towards their Lebanese and Palestinian brothers, is one of the enduring and unforgettable events in the history of our country. The gold that our women generously donated and the assistance that our people, our men provided are significant matters. This demonstrates the willpower and resolute determination of the nation. This spirit, this presence, this preparedness, this spiritual strength for the future of the country and the eternal life of our dear Iran is an asset. God willing, the country will make maximum use of this asset, and the Almighty God will continue His favors upon the nation.

Last year, we raised the slogan "Production Leap with People’s Participation" which was necessary for the country and, in a sense, vital. Various incidents in the year 1403 prevented this slogan from being fully realized. Of course, good efforts were made; both the government, the people, the private sector, investors, and entrepreneurs were able to accomplish good work, but what happened fell short of expectations. Therefore, this year, our main issue is the economy. What I expect from the esteemed government, the esteemed officials, and our dear people this year is again an economic issue. This economic issue will also be this year’s slogan, which pertains to investment in the economy.

One of the important issues in the country’s economy is productive investments. Production leaps forward when investments are made. Of course, investments should primarily be made by the people—and the government should plan various methods—but in cases where the people either lack motivation or the ability to invest, the government can also enter this field; not as a competitor with the people, but as a substitute for the people; where the people do not come forward, the government should step in and invest. In any case, productive investment is one of the necessary issues for the country’s economy and for solving the people’s livelihood problems. Reforming the people’s livelihoods requires planning, but this planning is not possible without such preliminaries. Both the government and the people must seriously pursue investment for production with determination and motivation. The government’s role is to provide the necessary conditions, to remove production obstacles; the people’s role is to be able to utilize their small and large investments for production. If capital is utilized for production, it will not go towards harmful activities such as buying gold, buying foreign currency, and similar things, and harmful activities will no longer take place. The Central Bank can play a role in this regard, and the government can create many effective roles. Therefore, this year’s slogan is "Investment for Production," which, God willing, will be a source of relief for the people’s livelihoods, and the government’s planning, with the participation of the people, together will, God willing, resolve the issue.

I would also like to make a reference to the recent events of these past few days. The renewed attack of the usurping Zionist regime on Gaza is a very great crime and a disaster. The Islamic Ummah must stand united against this. They should set aside their differences on various issues. This matter is the matter of the Islamic Ummah. In addition, all the free people of the world, in America, in Western and European countries, and in other countries, must seriously confront this treacherous and disastrous movement that they are carrying out. Again, children are being killed, homes are being destroyed, people are becoming displaced, and the people must stop this disaster. Of course, America is also complicit in this disaster. Those who are politically aware in the world all recognize that this action has been carried out at the behest of America or at least with America’s approval and green light. Therefore, America is also complicit in this crime. The events in Yemen are the same; this attack on the Yemeni people, on Yemeni civilians, is also a crime that must be stopped.

We hope that the Almighty God has decreed goodness, righteousness, and victory for the Islamic Ummah in this new year, and that the Iranian nation can begin this year, which is now starting, with happiness, satisfaction, complete unity, and success, God willing, and carry it through to the end of the year.

I hope that the sacred heart of the Awaited Savior (may our souls be sacrificed for him) and the pure spirit of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and the pure souls of the martyrs are pleased and satisfied with us.

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