On the first of the “10 Days of Dawn,” which commemorate the 1979 revolution and Ruhollah Khomeini’s return from exile, President Hassan Rouhani gave a speech on economic development, Iran’s resistance to outside powers and U.S. intervention in the region. The following are excerpts from his address to people in Sirjan city in Kerman province, which his located 500 miles southeast of Tehran.
Among the kind & courageous people of #Sirjan:
— Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) February 1, 2018
The White House shows fake sympathy toward Iranian people while confiscating their assets and even preventing their access to medicine for years. They are not fooling anyone. pic.twitter.com/AuZbeO9aGn
“More than 100 trillion rials of projects will be opened in this visit, which is very remarkable in history of our provinces.”
“These days remind us of the bravery of the courageous people of our land. In such days, the Iranian nation founded their desired ruling system based on Islam and people’s votes, named the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
“The Iranian people led a revolution to victory, when they were alone and no foreign power was supporting them, but on the other hand, they stood against a regime armed to teeth, whom all superpowers were supporting.”
“It is an honor for us that in this revolution, we achieved democracy by self-sacrifice and paying attention to Islamic culture and identity.”
“It is you people who make our great Iran’s progress happen through standing by the government. We cannot follow the path of progress and prosperity without people’s support, vote and opinion or even criticism.”
“People are vigilant and awake when a group tries to infiltrate into the country and create insecurity.”
“No one in Washington [should] think that they can decide for the great Iranian nation.”
“The Iranian nation has seen your crimes throughout the history. People have not forgotten SAVAK and their tortures, which was founded by you. People have not forgotten your aggression towards the region; you invaded Afghanistan and Iraq and help ISIL and it is you who does not want security in the region.”
“Today, you in Washington think about the Iranian people and sympathize with them? If you are honest, give back people’s assets that you plundered. You kept the Iranian people under sanctions for years; were your sanctions for or against the people? You even imposed sanctions on medicine and plundered people’s assets, how can you say you are sympathetic towards the Iranian nation?”
“Can you, who have stood against our Muslim people and call them terrorists, claim to have been supporting the Iranian nation?”
“The day Baathist invaders attacked out country and savagely used chemical weapons against out innocent people, none of you were thinking about the Iranian nation and it was the Iranian nation itself who drove the aggressors out of the country with devotion and sacrifice.”
“Today as well, the Iranian nation is readier more than ever to defend the independence, national sovereignty, security and progress and stand against enemies.”
“Today, I have come to Kerman and Sirjan to open more than 100 trillion rials worth of projects in this province and this is very remarkable in the history of the provinces.”
“Kerman province, because of the linking point of Oman Sea and the Persian Gulf, is a very important and strategic province in Iran.”