( IRNA ) - Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in Mashhad on Wednesday warned against any "illegal actions" against Iran.
In a New Year address to large group of people at the Imam Reza shrine in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad ( Razavi Khorassan Province), the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emphasized Iranian resolve to achieve freedom and scientific development and said Tehran has complied fully with international law in pursuing its nuclear program.
Following that same logic, the Supreme Leader made it perfectly clear that, "if the undisputed rights of the Iranian nation are illegally denied, we will have no recourse but to take illegal actions".
In congratulating the Iranian nation on the start of the Persian calendar New Year or 'Nowruz', the Ayatollah said the New Year is an opportunity for strengthening national resolve in facing international challenges, as well as acquiring a better understanding of Iran's position in the world.
"Although the nation has (historically) been kept backward because of dictatorship and foreign influence, Iran has also experienced successful scientific and political advances in the last three decades. This has made it an exemplary society for other nations," the Supreme Leader noted.
"Meanwhile, in politics our nation has introduced such concepts as religious democracy to political literature," the Supreme Leader added.
The Supreme Leader also spoke of "two main challenges" encountered by the nation. "Our domestic enemy is hopelessness, pessimism, and lack of confidence." Yet the paramount leader noted foreign enemies are more dangerous challenges which the nation, must face with utmost strength and resolve.
The Ayatollah said the Zionist regime and the American administration are the primary enemies of Iran, though, he said, "the two have been frustrated in achieving their goals after the victory of Islamic Revolution".
Referring to the cordial welcome the Iranian president recently received in Latin American countries, the Supreme Leader regarded it as an indication of a growing and positive Iranian reputation and conversely, increased loss of prestige for the American administration and western liberal democracy in general.
The Iranian Leader also advised Iranian authorities to be more cautious regarding the psychological war waged by the enemy and to devise ways to prevent the success of such plots.
"Their psychological war targets national confidence and unity by causing ethnic and religious strife," the Supreme Leader warned adding, that " the U.S. government which has now become a symbol of human rights violations and interference in other nations' affairs, is attempting to blame Iran for the very same misdeeds, though it is obvious to everyone that American officials are responsible and must be questioned for their actions."
According to Ayatollah Khamenei, part of Washington psy-ops is to influence some of the southern neighbors of Iran. "Those countries have wisely realized the conspiracy but some might be trapped." The Supreme Leader emphasized cooperation among Persian Gulf nations and Iran's enduring friendship with its southern neighbors.
The Ayatollah also expressed Tehran's desire to sign a joint defense agreement with those countries.
Referring to the nation's nuclear advancement, the Ayatollah said economic sanctions imposed on Iran are futile. The Supreme Leader observed that Iran's peaceful nuclear activities are a practical necessity and a logical national demand from which Iranian officials will not retreat.
The Ayatollah said success in nuclear technology is a greater step than the nationalization of Iran's oil industry was.
Mentioning Tehran's cooperation with the IAEA, the Supreme reiterated the lawfulness of all nuclear activities in Iran. "However, if they intend to exploit the UN Security Council and take illegal actions, we can and will act similarly", the Supreme Leader warned.
"If they resort to forceful measures, the Iranian nation will utilize its full capacities to respond."
Ayatollah Khamenei concluded his speech with a strong emphasis on national unity and Islamic solidarity in the Iranian New Year and encouraged the country's youth to take greater steps in developing Iran and promoting it to the pinnacle of glory and dignity.