TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei told the Pezeshkian administration on Sunday that the government should not let the threat of a potential war with Israel or the United States derail its ongoing plans and their implementation.

Israel and the U.S. launched a bombardment campaign against Iran’s civilian, nuclear, and military sites on June 13, killing over 1,000 Iranians in the ensuing 12 days. A ceasefire came after Iran dealt heavy blows to Israel and the U.S. with its missiles and drones. It is, however, believed that Israel and its American patron may decide to launch another war against Iran in the future. 

“While everyone must do their duty, the state of ‘neither war nor peace’ that the enemy seeks to impose must be overcome with motivation, determination, hope, and a spirit of hard work, as this state is harmful and dangerous for the country,” Ayatollah Khamenei said during a meeting with President Masoud Pezeshkian, his ministers, and a number of Iranian officials from other branches of the establishment. He deemed more serious action in the economic sphere and on livelihood issues essential, emphasizing that solutions to problems cannot wait for external developments. 

The Leader praised the Pezeshkian’s “motivation,” “morale,” and “hard work,” adding that his successful trip to China opened potential economic and political opportunities that must be actively followed up on.

"Among all the recent events, the President's trip to China was quite successful. It lays a solid foundation—though it's not fully realized yet—for the significant economic and political developments our country needs. Thankfully, he has established this groundwork during his visit. There have been positive outcomes, and we should build on them, hopefully," Ayatollah Khamenei said.

He advised officials and commentators to “narrate the nation’s power, strength, and abundant capabilities” and to “avoid narratives of weakness and incapability.” He added that besides officials, the press and media also have a duty in this regard.

The Leader of the Revolution characterized remarks Pezeshkian made at the beginning of the meeting as an example of narrating “power, hope, and capability,” stating that strong motivation, determination, and morale are the foundation for achieving goals.

Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out the need to value every fleeting moment of the opportunity to serve the people. He said that if this opportunity is valued, and if officials avoid idleness and redundant work by not busying themselves with trivial matters, then problems will certainly be solved in the medium term, not just the long term.

The Leader stated that strengthening components of national power and dignity is a core duty of any government. The most important of these components, he added, is the morale, motivation, unity, and hopefulness of the nation, which must be fostered and strengthened in both word and deed, and never weakened.

Another recommendation to the cabinet was the correct prioritization of tasks. He said determining priorities is a fundamental management principle, requiring attention to both the “urgency” of issues and their role as “infrastructure.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei spoke about Israel’s ongoing aggression in Gaza. Referring to the astonishing crimes and atrocities committed by the regime, he stated that the way to confront this situation is for protesting countries, especially Islamic nations, to completely cut their commercial and political ties with Israelis. Iran has floated this recommendation multiple times since the war in Gaza started in October of 2023. At least 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since then, and huge parts of Gaza have been razed to the ground.

By Soheila Zarfam