Iran in midst of global fight against arrogant powers: Ayatollah Khamenei

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the country is in the midst of a “civilizational and global” fight against “lying” arrogant powers hiding behind the labels of liberalism and democracy.

Addressing seminary students in Tehran on Wednesday, the Leader said Iran is in confrontation with a “lying front” which brands itself as “liberal democracy”, though it’s neither liberal nor democrat.

He emphasized that this front, which opposes the Iranian nation, stands against the pursuit of freedom, independent thinking, and any form of democracy not subservient to the global arrogance.

“The front confronting the Iranian nation is against freedom-seeking, free-thinking and is opposed to any democracy that is not dependent on the [world] arrogance," the Leader noted.

"And the resistance and fight of the Iranian nation and the Islamic establishment against this front is a civilizational and global fight,” he added.

Ayatollah Khamenei also questioned the sincerity of those Western countries that claim to be liberal while having a history of colonization.

He highlighted the example of India, which was colonized for over a hundred years, resulting in the exploitation of its resources and the impoverishment of its people and France’s occupation of Algeria as clear examples showing the West does not believe in liberalism.

“If you’re liberal, why did you colonize [countries]? … What kind of a liberal you are, what a kind of freedom-seeker you are, what kind of a free-thinker you are when you colonize a multi-million nation like India for many years – over a hundred years – and keep it under your control?" he asked. 

“Or the French in Algeria for over a hundred years committed atrocities and killed people; maybe tens of thousands of people, in a span of several years," he further commented. 

The Leader also cast doubt on the arrogant Western powers’ support for democracy, saying their claim is neither sincere nor real. 

“They’re not even democrat. They lie as they impose governments [on nations] in some places. They’re not after democracy and they’re one hundred percent opposed to a democracy that is not serving them,” he said.

The Leader further mentioned the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and criticized the West's tendency to exploit nations for their own benefit. He said that Western companies, driven by their interests in the arms trade, are prolonging the war in Ukraine.

“The Ukrainian people must be killed since the interests of Western companies producing and selling arms lies in prolonging the war in Ukraine,” he said.

Stressing that the West is now more vulnerable than ever, Ayatollah Khamenei said the United States is facing many confrontations at home and abroad, and embodies evil in different forms, including racism and cruelty.

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