BANDAR ABBAS - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has said that the Iranian nation has recognized its potential and is capable of imposing its will on hegemonic political and military powers.

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks during a meeting with Iranian Navy commanders and personnel on Saturday in the port city of Bandar Abbas on the shores of the Persian Gulf.
Commenting on the presence of the hegemonic powers’ military forces in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, he said, “The situation is completely different compared with the past.”
“A long and continuous coast of this region is under the control of an independent government, and a glorious and vigilant nation, which has recognized its power and national will, and with reliance on God, will impose its will on any political and military power that wants to rule over nations high-handedly and force them to retreat,” he stated.
The Leader also said that the presence of Western countries’ warships and aircraft carriers in the region is “harmful and undesirable,” adding, “The era of determining nations’ destinies through maintaining a military presence in the region has come to an end.”
Regional nations have woken up and regard the presence of foreign forces in the region as a “cause of insecurity,” he noted.
The security of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman will be maintained through cooperation between regional countries, he said.
He went on to say that the Islamic Republic of Iran has never been in favor of war and will try to avoid engaging in any accidental or planned confrontation, “but those who want to make progress through bullying and treating others high-handedly should face a strong nation in their path.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei praised the country’s naval forces, saying the Navy and the Naval Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps are symbols of the Iranian nation’s capability to safeguard its national interests.
The Leader also reviewed units of the Iranian armed forces on parade and visited the Iranian Navy’s bases and training facilities in Bandar Abbas.