The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said the country’s progress in the nuclear field and the manifestation of the spirit of hard work, hope, and vigor count as the “obvious defeat” of the West-oriented individuals, adding, “Back then, the West-oriented individuals used to shame the nation, and today, the nation shames them with its achievements and progress.

In a meeting with a group of scientists, experts and officials of Iran’s nuclear industry, which took place on June 11, 2023 in the Imam Khomeini Hussainiyah, Ayatollah Khamenei described this industry as the key to the country’s progress in various sectors.

In this exhibition, the most important achievements made by experts and researchers of nuclear technology were put on display in the fields of agriculture, medicine and the health sector, industry, the environment, water and the construction of power plants. 

Ayatollah Khamenei sincerely thanked the scientists, officials and those active in the nuclear industry. He described the exhibition as fantastic, pleasing and promising.

"People should be introduced to the various dimensions of these developments and the effects they have on people’s live," he said.

In explaining the threefold importance of the nuclear industry, he considered this industry to be "honoring" for the country on a global scale in terms of progress and the development of capabilities. He also pointed out the fundamental impact that nuclear achievements have had in the development of people’s lives.

In this regard, he underlined that the nuclear industry is the counterpoint to the enemies’ efforts to show that the country has no future.

"The nuclear industry revives the spirit of hope and national self-confidence in our society. It shows people, especially the youth, that it is possible to enter grand arenas and conquer them," he stated.

Referring to the strategic and at the same time "objective and tangible" importance of the nuclear industry, Ayatollah Khamenei considered it as one of the fundamental components of Iran's power and credibility. 

"Whoever loves Iran and the Islamic Republic, and whoever wants this country to make progress and become strong, must give credit and importance to scientific research and industrial activities in the nuclear field."

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution further emphasized that the West's claim about "the fear of nuclear weapons production in Iran" is a lie, adding that the US intelligence community has acknowledged the fact several times, including in recent months, that there is no sign of Iran moving towards the production of nuclear weapons.

Ayatollah Khamenei clarified that the production of weapons of mass destruction are against Islamic beliefs and practices. "If this Islamic belief did not exist and If we had wanted to build nuclear weapons, we would have done so and the enemies know that they could not have done anything to stop us," he added. 

The Leader considered "opposition to the progress of the Iranian nation" as the real reason for the enemies' attachment to Iran’s nuclear industry.

"This industry is the key to the country and the nation’s significant progress in various sectors. At the same time, the enemies are afraid that other nations might follow the path and the forward-looking mindset of the Iranian nation."

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution underlined that the 20-year-long nuclear challenge of the enemies of the Islamic Republic clarifies many facts, the most important of which is the emergence of the extraordinary ability and talent of Iranian youth in the midst of threats and incessant sanctions. The Leader described "the revelation of the inhuman and coercive logic of those who oppose Iran's progress" as the second fact that became clear in the nuclear challenge.

Ayatollah Khamenei clarified that the third fact that was revealed in the West’s 20-year-long nuclear challenge with Iran was the necessity of not trusting the parties involved in the nuclear negotiations. 

"The parties involved in the nuclear [negotiations] and the IAEA made many promises over the years that were not put into practice. This made us realize who we should trust and who we should not trust."

The visible effect of Iran’s nuclear developments in the historic failure of Westerners to humiliate the Iranian nation was another fact that the Leader referred to. 

"Domineering powers hold nations back and weaken them by using two methods: The first method is to directly dominate the nations and colonize them, and the second method, which is more dangerous, is to instill the spirit of ineptitude and the belief of 'We cannot' in nations."

Ayatollah Khamenei further added that these two methods were applied in the period prior to the Islamic Revolution. 

"Back then, in a meeting that I coincidentally had with one of the officials of the [Pahlavi] regime, I criticized their work. While that official ignored the plundering of Iran’s oil resources, the domination of Iran’s market and the ultimate interference of the West in Iran’s policies, he proudly stated, ‘Stop saying these pointless things. The Europeans are our servants now and they produce different products for us to use.'"

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution emphasized, "In addition to this humiliating and Westernized view held by officials of the previous regime, they also made our youth believe that 'Iranians are incompetent and incapable.' One of the prime ministers of that time stated that an Iranian person’s greatest talent is to produce clay aftabe."

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution said the country’s progress in the nuclear field and the manifestation of the spirit of hard work, hope, and vigor count as the “obvious defeat” of the West-oriented individuals, adding, “Back then, the West-oriented individuals used to shame the nation, and today, the nation shames them with its achievements and progress.

He said Iran’s nuclear facilities are now over a hundred times greater than twenty years ago, which he said was the beginning of the country’s "nuclear challenge." "They (enemies) also took help from crime and terror to stop this process, but they failed, and the nuclear industry has now become indigenous in this country with the efforts of the nation’s youth and others, and it cannot be taken away anymore," he stated.

Ayatollah Khamenei also noted that during the Renaissance, the most fundamental issue that was raised was the confrontation between science and religion. That is, he continued, "they wanted to say if you want to progress scientifically, put religion and spirituality aside."

However, he hastened to add, some 400-500 years have passed since the Renaissance, and now under the Islamic Republic, which is the country of spirituality and religion, the most important scientific works are being done in competition with the Western world who have been working in these scientific fields for many years. That is while, he went on, science and spirituality have been completely intertwined.

He then highlighted the need to extend the use of nuclear knowledge into different areas of life such as health, industry, agriculture, environment and water desalination.

"If people are informed about the benefits of nuclear energy in all aspects of their lives, they will more so appreciate what they called 'our indisputable right,'" he added.

The Leader also underlined the necessity of "developing the commercialization of nuclear products and services" and "increasing scientific cooperation with aligned and non-hostile countries so as to make use of the facilities and progress of the world as much as possible."

Elsewhere in his speech, Ayatollah Khamenei said it was necessary to maintain communication and cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) within the framework of the safeguards agreements.

"This has been my recommendation to various officials of the nuclear industry from the beginning," he said. "Of course, do not go under the burden of anything more than the safeguards regulations."

He stated that the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) must not succumb to the false claims and coercive demands of the other parties, urging the officials to dismiss those claims and demands and instead insist on the country’s positions.

“Of course, based on the new report I saw about the [agreement] reached back in March, the Agency has not fulfilled its commitments," he said.

The Leader of the Revolution also advised the AEOI officials to “maintain the existing infrastructures of the nuclear industry” and asserted that those infrastructures must remain intact.

Iranian managers, officials and experts created important nuclear infrastructures throughout the years and "you need to be careful these infrastructures remain untouched in case of reaching agreements," he added.

Meanwhile, AEOI chief Mohammad Eslami also made a speech during the meeting, calling the continuation of the nuclear industry’s dynamism and strength the permanent agenda of the organization.

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