Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei made the remarks in a live televised speech today on the occasion of the uprising of the people of Tabriz on Feb. 18, 1978, (29th of Bahman in 1356) against the Pahlavi regime.
Appreciating the efforts of people of Tabriz in the victory of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "The Revolution was able to turn Iran from a scientifically backward country, economically dependent on the great powers and politically follower of some countries, into an independent, beloved and very successful country."
"Strengthening the country's military and defense forces was one of the achievements of the revolution," Leader added, saying, "Today, the military status is tens of times better than it was in the days before the revolution, and we are a great regional power."
"The reason behind US and Israel conspiracies is that they see that the revolution is not stopped and is moving forward," he noted.
"The enemy propagates negatively about our failures but it does not show our progress and hides it," he added.
Referring to the JCPOA issue, Ayatollah Khamenei highlighted, "We have heard many words and promises, and in practice, those words and promises have been violated. This time, only action is needed and Iran will not be satisfied with words and promises."
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