Iran’s Leader: Any action undermining social cohesion is prohibited
TEHRAN- Iran’s Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, has stressed the importance of preserving national unity and social cohesion, saying that any action or statement that undermines social cohesion is prohibited.
The leader made the remarks in a message marking Iran’s Government Week, while praising the administration’s performance and emphasizing the need to highlight Iran’s capabilities, support domestic production, harness the potential of young innovators, and give strategic attention to culture and education.
Ayatollah Khamenei commended the government for its efforts to secure essential goods and services, repair key damaged infrastructure, and manage energy supplies despite the ‘third imposed war,’ intensified sanctions, and various actions by the US-Israeli enemy.
Describing public service and the pursuit of the Islamic Republic’s objectives as a valuable blessing, the leader said one of the requirements for building a ‘stronger Iran’ was to explain and highlight the country’s strength and capabilities, alongside sustained efforts and innovation.
He said weaknesses and shortcomings should be addressed through planning and practical measures rather than being unnecessarily highlighted. According to the leader, openly discussing certain domestic weaknesses at a time when the country’s adversaries are seeking to undermine public morale could strengthen the enemy and cause concern and confusion among Iran’s friends and supporters.
By contrast, he stressed the importance of highlighting the country’s strengths and achievements.
The leader also called for serious action to address economic and livelihood challenges, including inflation, unemployment, price management and the regulation of goods and services markets. He identified economic growth, increased investment, stronger domestic production and reducing the dollar’s role (dedollarization) in the economy as other important priorities.
He described greater reliance on domestic production as a key to addressing the country’s economic challenges, while stressing that imports should be used properly and prudently where domestic production is insufficient to meet national needs.
Supporting domestic production while managing imports and prices, he said, could gradually reduce the economic difficulties facing the country.
Ayatollah Khamenei also called for greater use of technologies and innovations proposed by young experts, saying the timely adoption of new capabilities and a departure from established (traditional) practices could generate significant advances in the country’s development.
In another part of his message, the leader identified national unity and social cohesion as fundamental issues that must remain at the center of attention for the government and all state institutions.
He said all major measures in the cultural, social, political, security and economic spheres should be carried out with due consideration for their impact on social cohesion.
Some measures, he noted, may appear to have support among certain segments of society, but if their implications for social cohesion are not properly assessed, or if safeguards designed to protect cohesion are ignored in practice, they could ultimately harm those same groups as well as other sections of society.
The leader also warned against statements that undermine hope and weaken national and public motivation, as well as ‘false dichotomies,’ citing examples such as “war or negotiations,” “consensus or extremism” and “compromise or warmongering.”
“I categorically declare that committing any act that harms social cohesion is prohibited,” he said.
Ayatollah Khamenei further described culture, education and upbringing as ‘supra-strategic’ issues, arguing that other national strategies should be formulated with due consideration for these areas.
He highlighted the role of teachers, university professors, religious scholars, doctors and nurses, as well as homemakers, in shaping the country’s future cultural environment.
The leader expressed hope that implementing these priorities and other government programs would help move the country toward building a ‘stronger Iran.’