TEHRAN- In a powerful display of solidarity and revolutionary commitment, more than 3,000 Iranian artists have issued a collective statement pledging their allegiance to the newly appointed Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei.

The statement, released by the Art Bureau of the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization on Tuesday, comes in the wake of the Assembly of Experts' decision to appoint the third Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Mehr reported. 

The signatories, described as committed and revolutionary artists, expressed both their grief over the martyrdom of the late Leader and their renewed hope under the new leadership.

"At a time when the clash of swords in the history-making battle between Truth and Falsehood has reached its peak," the statement read, "the news of the appointment of the new Leader has breathed new life into the souls of the Iranian people and Muslims worldwide."

The artists emphasized their role as seekers of truth whose ultimate aspiration is to hoist the sacred flag of Iran atop the promised peak of Islamic-Iranian civilization.

"Our loyalty to you, the worthy descendant of that martyred Imam, is the pledge of soldiers who will remain as steadfast as mountains in the front lines of art," the letter continued. "We shall not rest until the enemies of Light and Truth are defeated."

The mass signing marks one of the largest collective endorsements from the country’s cultural elite following the recent transition in leadership.

Iran's Assembly of Experts has chosen Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei to serve as the third Leader of the Islamic Revolution. He is the son of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Iran's second Leader, who was assassinated by the U.S. and Israel on February 28.

SAB/