Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks while addressing the Iranian nation on the 34th anniversary of the demise of Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution.  

"The enmity of arrogance against Iran's nation will not be eliminated with our retreats. Many times, our retreats made them come forward and become more aggressive. The enemies are not satisfied with our retreats, they want to take Iran back to the way it was before the revolution," Ayatollah Khamenei told the audience at the shrine of Imam Khomeini, according to Press TV.

The Leader went on to say that the enemies seek to "disappoint" Iranian youths by focusing on problems in the country.

He praised Imam Khomeini as "one of the preeminent figures in our history and not just in our time." 

Such figures, maintained the Leader, "cannot be erased from the history's memory ... and cannot be removed or distorted."

He hailed Imam Khomeini's preeminence in various fields, such as religious knowledge, jurisprudence, philosophy, theoretical mysticism, faith, and piety, noting that none of the prominent figures in Iran's history had all these features at the same time.

Imam Khomeini died at the age of 86 in 1989, nearly ten years after the victory of the Islamic Revolution. As the founder of the Islamic Republic, his leadership ended the reign of the despotic Pahlavi dynasty.

Imam Khomeini lived in exile for many years in Iraq, Turkey and France, where he guided a growing movement of people, who finally removed the Shah and created the Islamic Republic.

The Leader also said Imam Khomeini brought about three "unprecedented" changes in Iran, the Islamic ummah and the world.

Imam Khomeini transformed Iran from a monarchy that was subservient to powers into a democracy that was independent and proud, ignited the Islamic awakening movement among the Islamic ummah and made the Palestinian cause the foremost issue of Islam, he pointed out.

The Leader added that Imam Khomeini revived spirituality even in non-Muslim countries against the materialist trends.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution also said anybody or political party who is interested in “Iran, national interests, improvement of economic situation, progress of the country and national dignity” should use all its efforts to strengthen “faith” and “hope” in the society.

'Riots were latest failed attempt of foes'

Elsewhere in his remarks, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the riots that triggered in September 2022 after the death of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody in Tehran.

The Leader said that the enemies have made several attempts against Iran but have failed in most of them, the latest being the riots last autumn.

The riots were "devised in Western think tanks" and supported by "extensive financial, media, and weaponry" help of Western security bodies, he remarked.

Ayatollah Khamenei further noted that those behind the riots “thought that the Islamic Republic was over and that they could recruit the Iranian nation; the ignorants were wrong again.”

Iran’s intelligence community has said several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, have used their spy and propaganda apparatuses to provoke violent riots in the country.