Iran to Defeat Enemy in Economic War: Leader

THERAN (IQNA) – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said the enemy is waging an “economic war" on Iran, but the country will defeat it.

"The enemy is engaged in an economic war on us. We must defeat the enemy in this war and God willing we will defeat it," the Leader told a huge crowd at the shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad on Thursday.

"We will defeat the enemy, but this is not enough. Beside defeating the enemy, we must establish deterrence" in the economic sphere, the Leader said.

The Leader made the statements on the occasion of the new Iranian year which started on Thursday.

“I believe the new Persian year will be the year of opportunities, the year in which all problems will be solved,” the Leader said.

"We must reach a point of deterrence where the enemy realizes that it cannot use economic fissures to harm and pressure us," Ayatollah Khamenei added, Press TV reported.

For economic deterrence, he said, Iran must emulate its defense industry which is "currently better and superior" than that of all the regional countries.

Ayatollah Khamenei said, “To the dismay of the enemies, we will continue to reinforce our defense strength and will not give in to outside pressure.”

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has a strong fist and a powerful hand to reach this point and possibility in economic matters and the opportunity has been put in front of us in light of the enemies' threats."

In order to create an economic deterrence, the Leader said, Iran should fully cease to think of Western help. "We can expect intrigue, betrayal, and stabbing in the back from the West but not help and honesty.”

Ayatollah Khamenei said the Europeans had failed to fulfill their commitments after the US withdrawal from a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"Despite the US pullout, the Europeans should have carried out their obligations under the JCPOA with stoicism but they refused to do so under various pretexts."

A new trade channel known as Instex, established by the European Union to purportedly cushion the blow of reimposed US sanctions on Iran, "is more like a bitter joke," the Leader said.