Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei hailed the Iranian people’s “clear victory” in the war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28. 

In a statement marking the 40th day since the martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on the first day of the US–Israeli campaign, he urged continued public gatherings to condemn the aggression and show support for the Islamic Revolution. The statement opened with a verse from the Holy Quran and framed the events within a broader narrative of resistance and national unity.

Bellow is the full text of the message from Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khammenei. 

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
 “Indeed, We have granted you a clear victory, that Allah may forgive you your past sins and those that will follow, and that He may complete His blessings upon you and guide you on a straight path, and Allah will help you with a mighty help” (Quran 48:1-3).

A nation in mourning, a nation unbowed 

Forty days have passed since the occurrence of one of the most dreadful crimes committed by the enemies of Islam and Iran, and one of the heaviest sorrows for the people in the history of this nation – the grief of the heartbreaking martyrdom of the illustrious Leader of the Islamic Revolution, the father of the Iranian Nation, the Leader of the Islamic Ummah and today’s truth-seekers, and the Master of the martyrs of Iran and the Resistance Front – the Great Khamenei (may God sanctify his pure soul).

Forty days have passed since the lofty soul of our martyred Leader has taken up residence close to God, as a guest at the banquet for the Friends [Awliya] of God, the Truthful Ones [Siddiqin], and the martyrs. At the same time or following this, a large number of his companions, commanders and those fighting for Islam, as well as innocent fellow citizens – ranging from newborn infants to the elderly – have also attained this great blessing.

From sorrow to sacred defense

Forty days and nights have passed since Almighty God called the Leader of this Ummah to His appointed meeting. But unlike what took place at the time of Kalim-Allah [Moses], the martyred Leader’s companions and his Ummah rose up to establish truth and confront falsehood. They stood firmly against Samiri and his calf like towering mountains, and they have been descending like balls of fire on the heads of the aggressors and the Pharaohs.

For forty days and nights, the world’s Arrogant Powers have put aside their deceptive, hypocritical masks, exposing their hideous, satanic face of murder and oppression, aggression and lies, arrogance and child-killing, tyranny, and corruption.

On the other side, for forty days and nights, the devout children of the Great Khomeini and the beloved Martyr Khamenei, along with the followers of the pure Islam of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), have shown their presence in the cities’ squares, the streets, and the battle trenches with determination and exemplary courage. Despite the losses and damages wrought by the enemy’s savage onslaught, they have transformed the Third Imposed War into an epic Third Sacred Defense. 

The dawn of a new chapter

Although the aware, vigilant Iranian nation has demonstrated that it’s grieving the great loss of its martyred Leader, it has also – following in the footsteps of the direct inheritors of Ashura – turned this grief into an epic and transformed laments into battle cries. All of this has caused the heavily armed enemy to become totally bewildered and desperate, while earning the admiration of all the freedom-loving people in the world. This time, the ignorance and foolishness of the Arrogant Powers ensured that Esfand 1404 [Feb/Mar 2026] marked the dawn of a new chapter in the empowerment and rise of the name of Iran and the Islamic Revolution. The flag of Islamic Iran has been raised not only within our territorial borders, but also deep within the hearts of the world’s truth-seekers.

Portrait of a Leader: Faith, wisdom, and vision

This occasion provides a good opportunity to offer a brief description of the character of our illustrious Leader. We are speaking of a man who was not well understood despite his fame. Everyone knows that our martyred Leader was an astute, insightful jurist; a tireless mujahid as firm and steadfast as a mountain; a practicing, pious scholar; and a man who would constantly remember God, pray the Tahajjud (night) prayer, beseech the Lord, and take recourse in the sacred Immaculate Imams (PBUT). He truly believed in divine promises from the depths of his soul. Among his other notable qualities was his deep love for Iran and his relentless work to maximize the independence of our beloved country, along with a constant emphasis on unity and national solidarity. He dedicated his life to establishing, strengthening, and sustaining the Islamic system. At the same time, the Islamic Republic meant nothing (to him) without (the presence and role of) the people in his view.

The architect of strength

Alongside his great authority and firmness, his thoughts and perspectives were imbued with a profound adroitness. He paid special attention to the capacities of the country, especially its youth. He placed great importance on science, technology, and the progress that could be achieved with them. He held a special regard and high esteem for the honorable families of the martyrs, the wounded veterans, and all those who had made sacrifices for the war. He possessed valuable, extensive experience in various fields - sometimes experiences that spanned several decades - in addition to a long list of other exceptional attributes.

These days, certain media outlets repeatedly speak of his artistic sense, deep appreciation of the arts, and support for artists. While this trait alone can add immense value to a person’s character – and undoubtedly this existed in our beloved Leader in its truest, most excellent form – it appears to be something somewhat small when compared to his other qualities and virtues. Personally, I know of many different “talents” in him.

One of his greatest talents – one that receives far less attention – was his talent in educating and nurturing society by shaping the thoughts, spirits, and emotions of the general population and different groups in society. 

Another of his talents was his purposeful creation of institutions. He undertook this endeavor especially in the early years of his activities and as the Leader, always looking toward distant horizons.

Another of his talents was in strengthening the country’s military structure, the positive outcome of which the Iranian nation witnessed and benefited from during the two recent Imposed Wars. Furthermore, his capacity for innovation and using initiative in various scientific, strategic, and policymaking areas was yet another of his talents. A glimpse of this can be seen in the formulation of the general policies of the governmental system. Added to this was his mastery in creating meaning through the timely coinage of novel terms and phrases, each carrying profound conceptual weight, which then shaped public discourse. Among his talents was a talent refined by the polishing of his exalted soul by hardships, trials, and tribulations due to his patience and steadfastness on the path of truth. This was a talent in foreseeing distant events, for truly, “A believer sees with the light of God.” There were also other talents that cannot be enumerated in this brief overview.

Divine grace and a life of sacrifice

None of these virtues and talents stemmed from anything other than special divine grace and the special attention of our Master [Imam Mahdi (AJ)] and his pure forefathers (PBUT). Perhaps the magnet that drew such divine grace and attention toward that great man can be summarized in his relentless, sincere struggle for the truth. However, beyond the grueling hardships of his struggle against the traitorous Pahlavi regime, he uniquely capitalized on another special opportunity in the course of fulfilling his duty. This is something that the general public is largely unaware of.
Destiny had it that this young Sayyid – intensely eager for knowledge and equally driven to action – at a time when his honorable father was on the verge of losing his sight, chose to abandon all the ostensible avenues of academics in Qom that promised advancement. After years of diligent study in the presence of eminent scholars, he placed his trust in divine grace and dedicated himself entirely to caring for his father. 

Divine grace in response to this act of sacrifice manifested itself when Sayyid Ali Khamenei unexpectedly rose like a sun from Khorasan before he had even reached the age of 30. He was soon recognized as a pillar in intellectual and revolutionary struggle, and made remarkable strides in traditional Islamic sciences at the same time. This was to such an extent that in the 1970s, SAVAK Secret Police described him as “the Khomeini of Khorasan.” I must emphasize that this path of both spiritual growth and outward progress continued throughout the next phases of his life.

The enduring influence of martyrdom

These days, it’s frequently heard that various groups of our dear people - quite rightly and with deep longing - speak of that unique personage of our time. Gradually, more facets of the radiant jewel of his exalted personality are coming to light. Furthermore, the resolve to emulate his specific actions is steadily becoming widespread. For instance, our dear people have learned from his clenched fist at the time of his martyrdom. And now, his clenched fist has become a shared symbol of their faith and conviction for some. Thus, this has been proven once again that the influence of a martyr is far greater than that of a living person. His resonant voice in calling for monotheism, the pursuit of truth, and the struggle against oppression and corruption, rings louder and his message penetrates deeper than it did during his lifetime. Moreover, the heartfelt desire of this highly esteemed martyr, which was the prosperity and felicity of this nation and all other Muslim nations, has come closer to reality than ever before.

Victory in the Third Sacred Defense

My dear brothers and sisters! Today, up to this point in the epic Third Sacred Defense, it can be said with complete confidence that you, the heroic nation of Iran, are the definite victors in this battlefield.

Today, the emergence of the Islamic Republic as a major power, accompanied by the Arrogant Powers falling into a downward decline toward weakness, has become evident before everyone’s eyes. This is undoubtedly a divine blessing that’s been bestowed upon the Iranian nation. It’s a blessing born from the grace of the pure blood of our martyred Leader, the other crimson-shrouded martyrs, our innocent citizens, and the flowers who have been torn to pieces [the martyred children] from the Shajareh Tayyebeh School in Minab. This comes in the wake of the nation’s collective supplications and beseeching the Lord, along with their valiant presence in the cities’ squares, neighborhoods, and mosques. This has been granted due to the selfless, unconditional, sincere sacrifices of the devoted fighters of Islam in the IRGC, the Army, the Law Enforcement Forces [FARAJA], the anonymous soldiers, and the border guards.

Unity: The path to a stronger Iran

Like any other blessing, we must thank God for this blessing so that it may endure and grow, “If you are grateful, I will surely increase My favor to you” (Quran 14:7). The expression of this gratitude in our actions is our unremitting struggle to achieve a powerful Iran.

At this current juncture, what is essential to attaining this motto and the strategic objective of our martyred Leader is the uninterrupted presence of our dear people in the same way that they’ve been present during the past 40 days. This presence is a crucial pillar of the exalted structure in which a mighty Iran has now become firmly established.

Therefore, the announcement of an intention to enter negotiations with the enemy must not lead to the belief that the public’s presence in the streets is no longer necessary. On the contrary, even if the time has come - hypothetically speaking - for a period of calm on the military battlefield, the duty of every citizen who is able to be present in the public squares, neighborhoods, and mosques has become even more significant than before. Undoubtedly, your resounding cries in the public squares have a profound impact on the outcome of the negotiations. Likewise, the astonishing and ever-increasing number of millions participating in the “Ready to Sacrifice for Iran” campaign is an influential factor in this arena.

By the will of God, the Blessed and Exalted, the horizon stretching before the Iranian nation heralds the dawn of a magnificent, brilliant era overflowing with honor, dignity, and prosperity as a result of such active participation and its continuation. When our martyred Leader assumed the mantle of leadership, the Islamic Republic was akin to a young sapling that had suffered numerous wounds inflicted by the enemies of Islam and Iran. These were wounds it had endured with remarkable resilience. But when he left the seat of the Ummah’s leadership after nearly 37 years, he left behind a “Shajareh Tayyebeh,” the roots of which are strong, with its branches and leaves casting a protective shade over significant parts of the region and the world.

The way to achieving a “stronger Iran than ever before” is through unity between the various parts of society. This is a principle that our martyred Leader repeatedly emphasized. A significant degree of this unity has already been formed over the past 40 days. People’s hearts have become closer to one another, the frozen divides between different segments of society and their divergent views have begun to melt, and people from all walks of life have gathered under the flag of the homeland. Day by day, both the number and the quality of these gatherings continue to increase. Even many of those who have not yet been able to physically participate remain, in their hearts, fully aligned and in solidarity with the multitudes gathered in the public squares.

These days, many are experiencing seeing a civilization, fixing their gaze on distant horizons and constructing a vision for themselves – not an illusory one, but one firmly anchored in the realities of the present and the future. Until recently, this was a characteristic observed only in a select few, at the pinnacle of whom stood our martyred Leader. It’s precisely for this reason that any observer can clearly witness the rapid, almost miraculous growth of this nation. And it’s no wonder that when the renowned sage and eminent jurist of our time speaks to you about this exalted status these days, his voice repeatedly breaks with emotion and a lump in his throat stops his words. 

At this point, I would like to tell Iran’s southern neighbors that you are witnessing a miracle. So observe closely, understand matters correctly, stand on the right side, and be distrustful of the false promises of the devils. We’re still waiting for an appropriate response from you so that we may demonstrate our brotherhood and goodwill to you. This will not be realized unless you renounce the Arrogant Powers, who miss no opportunity to humiliate and exploit you. 

Justice, sovereignty, and national rights

All must know that, by Almighty God’s will, we definitely won’t allow the criminal aggressors who attacked our country to go unpunished. We will certainly demand full reparations for all damages caused, as well as blood money for the martyrs and compensation for the war's wounded. We will definitely take the management of the Strait of Hormuz to a new phase. We have not sought, nor do we seek, war; yet we will in no way relinquish our legitimate rights, and in this regard, we consider the entire Resistance Front as a unified entity.

At this juncture, and until we’ve reached the stage of attaining what rightfully belongs to us, first, all members of the nation must strive to be considerate of one another so that there will be less pressure on various groups in society as a result of the shortages that are a natural consequence of any war. Of course, these shortages, which are far more severe on the opposing front in some cases, have been managed to a significant extent thanks to the efforts of your brothers and sisters in the government and other institutions.

Second, we must carefully guard our ears, which serve as windows to the mind and heart, against media outlets that are sponsored or supported by the enemy or aligned with them. Unquestionably, those media outlets are not the well-wishers of this country and the people of Iran. This reality has been proven time and again. Therefore, we should either completely stop using them, or at least, treat whatever they present with profound suspicion.
Third, although our dear nation will set aside its mourning clothes at the end of the official mourning period for its illustrious martyred Leader, it will keep alive in its heart and soul the firm determination to avenge the pure blood of its martyred Leader and all the martyrs of the Second and Third Imposed Wars, and it will continuously pursue the realization of this.

In conclusion, I humbly address our Master, Imam Mahdi (AJ). With faith in Almighty God, taking recourse in the Immaculate Imams (PBUT), and following the path of our martyred Leader, we are standing steadfast under your flag against the Front of Unbelief and Arrogance. On this path, we have offered valuable martyrs from various walks of life for the sake of the country’s dignity and independence, and for the exaltation of Islam and the Islamic Revolution. We’ve also suffered other losses. With our entire being, we now place our trust in your special supplications for a decisive triumph over the enemy, both in negotiations and on the battlefield. We pray that both our adversaries and we will witness the miraculous effect of those prayers very soon, God willing.