Iran's Supreme Leader Calls for National Defense Against 'Enemy Attempts', Cites Heavy Blows Dealt

Gate News message, April 24 — Iran's Supreme Leader Mujtaba Khamenei delivered a Nowruz (Iranian New Year) address on April 24, stating that Iran has faced three "military and security wars" over the past year. He described the ongoing conflict as an enemy attempt "to kill leaders and military officials, create fear and despair among the Iranian people, force them to abandon resistance, and thereby achieve its goal of ruling Iran and ultimately dividing it."

Khamenei emphasized that "the Iranian people have built a defense line extending across the nation and erected strong fortresses in every corner, thereby inflicting heavy blows on the enemy." The remarks underscore Iran's framing of its defensive posture against external threats during the Nowruz celebrations, traditionally a time for reflecting on national resilience.