SHIRAZ – Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday Iranians always stand up to all threats and turn them into opportunities for development.

Addressing a large rally in the southwestern city of Shiraz, Ayatollah Khamenei described the 1979 Islamic Revolution as an unprecedented event which let Iranians change the governing power for the first time over the course of history.
“Since the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian nation has been under the enemies’ sanctions but has turned threats into opportunities for progress and independence by relying on its natural talents.”
He said enemies are increasing pressure on the Iranian nation to make it relinquish its rights to “nuclear energy, independence, decision making, and scientific development”.
The Supreme Leader called on Iranians to remain vigilant about the Western media efforts to create tension in the country by politicizing “any problem, even natural disasters, and inflation which is common in the world”.
Although the United States and Europe are embroiled in economic crisis and the United Nations has announced that the world is facing global food crisis, Western propaganda campaign is trying to blame Iran’s economic problems on the administration’s neglect, he stated.
The Supreme Leader called on senior officials to boost cooperation in efforts to resolve problems and preserve Iran’s exemplary status in the region.
The leader suggested “financial discipline” by the administration to ease prices. He also advised people and the government to avoid waste.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei called for increasing scientific activities to accomplish the objectives of the new Iranian year which has been dubbed the year of innovation and flourishing