On the anniversary of the Popular Uprising of the People of Tabriz, which took place on February 18, 1978, thousands of people from the East Azerbaijan Province met with Ayatollah Khamenei— the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution— this morning, February 18, 2019.

In this meeting Ayatollah Khamenei expressed thanks and admirations for the Iranian nation for their massive participation in the rally held annually on February 11 [February 11] and asserted: My gratitude to the people as expressed in the statement is far less than what our nation deserves. The nation realized a great action on Bahman 22nd.
Ayatollah Khamenei made reference to a recent statement His Eminence had issued regarding the Second Phase of the Islamic Revolution and held: Toward the end of the statement, I thanked the people for their participation in the Bahman 22nd rally; however, this was the least I could offer to the people of Iran.
Ayatollah Khamenei made reference to a recent statement His Eminence had issued regarding the Second Phase of the Islamic Revolution and held: Toward the end of the statement, I thanked the people for their participation in the Bahman 22nd rally; however, this was the least I could offer to the people of Iran.
The Leader of the Revolution praised the massive turnout of the Iranian people on the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution and described it as an asset that repels enemies’ harms, adding: The Iranian nation manifested a great action on Bahman 22nd. According to the reports, nearly in all parts of the country, the number of the participants had risen [compared to previous years]. Of course, the enemies seek to disregard that millions of people took to the streets; yet they understand and everyone knows that a nation who is so actively present in the scene cannot be harmed by the enemy.
The Supreme Leader paid homage to the martyred IRGC members who lost their lives in a terrorist attack and praised the efforts by the corps in protecting the borders of the Islamic Republic; he said: May God’s peace be upon the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and all those who work to safeguard the country’s security. The martyrdom of the young members of the IRGC reminds us at what expense we are provided with security. Those who take advantage of the security and then bite the hands that feed them should be alerted.
He went on to criticize those who ignore the great sacrifice made by various organs of the government to provide security and stability to the nation and mentioned: Some individuals who benefit from the country’s security, advance their work in sports and other fields, yet, they bite the hands that feed them, should learn that this is the price and the manner in which security is provided. We should not forget how security is provided.
Ayatollah Khamenei prayed for the departed IRGC members and thanked the people who took part in the funeral: The February 11 rally—with such magnificence—was held in security. May God’s peace be upon them and upon the martyr-raising people of Isfahan [where the martyrs came from] who engaged in a magnificent funeral.
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution warned Iranian officials of Europe’s dishonest gestures and held: Do not be deceived by the enemy’s smile; the Europeans are plotting against us. I am not going to tell you what to do; but do not bring about troubles for the country in the name of working for it.
Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that the Iranian government officials should be vigilant in identifying the enemies and dealing with them, adding: The officials should identify the enemy and the friend appropriately, and should not be deceived. The enemy might at times threaten, or strike or appear friendly; these are all the same: their smile is also due to their animosity. Their filthy and hostile hearts are filled with animosity against Islam and the Islamic Revolution. Whereas the U.S.’s animosity is apparent; the Europeans are also practicing deception today. The officials should know that God’s hand is above all hands.
His Eminence described the enemies of the Islamic Republic as declining over suffrage from various problems and asserted: Our enemy is weak today. I have previously repeated that the enemy cannot be considered weak; however today, you can see that our main enemy, that is the United States, is in trouble: it is suffering from domestic and foreign problems, as well as conflicts among their senior officials. The U.S. suffers from a curious amount debt. Its people and youth struggle with depression. Look at how they are stuck in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran further described the officials of the United States as lacking wisdom and prudence, stating that: The wisdom-lacking or first-class fools representing the heads of the U.S. regime get enraged and are franticly doing anything they can: they hold Warsaw summit to call their intimidated, weak allies to make decisions against the Islamic Republic, but they fail. This is also a sign of the enemy’s weakness. When the enemy is weak, it starts to huff and puff. The huff and puff should not scare the officials. When the Islamic Republic was a weak sapling, they could not do a single thing; now, they won’t be able to do anything.
Finally Ayatollah Khamenei slammed the Persian Gulf states who engaged in a coalition with the Zionist regime and the hostile regime of the United States and added: Heads of many Persian Gulf states that sat with the Zionist regime and the U.S. in Warsaw summit to form an alliance against Islam, Muslims and the Islamic Republic have become disgraced. Of course, they have already been disgraced in the eyes of their own nations, too.