The enemy cannot start a war whenever it pleases and demand a ceasefire whenever it chooses.

Our armed forces are determined to teach the enemy a lesson they will never forget.

The Strait of Hormuz must remain closed.

We believe in friendship with neighbors, and we target only military bases, and we will necessarily continue to do so.

I thank the brave fighters in the country.

I learned about the position of the Assembly of Experts through the screen of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

We thwarted attempts to divide the country.

The remembrance of God Almighty, reliance upon Him, and seeking intercession through the lights of the Infallibles (peace be upon them) should be viewed as the greatest elixir that guarantees various conquests and inevitable victory over the enemy—a great advantage that you possess and your enemies lack.

Dear fighting brothers! The desire of the popular masses is the continuation of effective and painful defense against the enemy.

The card of closing the Strait of Hormuz should also certainly continue to be used.

Studies have been conducted regarding opening other fronts where the enemy has little experience and will be highly vulnerable, and they will be activated in the event of the continuation of the state of war and in accordance with interests.

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

"We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth [one] better than it or similar to it."

Peace be upon you, O caller to God and the divine educator of His signs; peace be upon you, O gate to God and the upholder of His religion; peace be upon you, O caliph of God and supporter of His truth; peace be upon you, O proof of God and guide to His will. Peace be upon you, O the awaited leader; peace be upon you with all-encompassing peace; peace be upon you, my master, the Master of the Age.

At the beginning of my speech, I must extend to my master, the Master of the Age (may God Almighty hasten his reappearance), my deepest condolences on the occasion of the martyrdom of the great, beloved, and wise leader of the revolution, Khamenei. I ask his presence to pray for the goodness of every individual of the great Iranian people, indeed for all Muslims in the world, for all servants of Islam and the revolution, for the self-sacrificing, for the families of the martyrs of the Islamic uprising—especially in the recent war—and also for this humble servant.

The second part of my speech is addressed to the great Iranian people. First, I should briefly clarify my position regarding the decision of the honorable Assembly of Experts. I, your servant, Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, learned of the result of the Assembly of Experts' vote at the same time as you, through the television of the Islamic Republic. Sitting in the place where the two great leaders of this nation sat—the great Imam Khomeini and the martyr Khamenei—is a difficult matter for me. This platform witnessed the sitting of a man who, after more than sixty years of struggle in the way of God and forsaking all kinds of pleasures and comfort, became a shining jewel and a distinguished figure, not only in our era but in the history of the rulers of this country. His life, as well as the nature of his death, were blended with greatness and glory arising from reliance on the Truth.

God granted me the success to visit his body after his martyrdom; what I saw was a mountain of steadfastness, and I heard that his sound hand was clenched in a firm fist. As for the various aspects of his personality, people of knowledge must speak of them at length. At this point, I suffice with this brief amount and leave the detail for other occasions. Hence comes the difficulty of assuming the position of leadership after such a man; filling this gap can only be achieved by seeking help from God Almighty and through the support of the people.

It is necessary here to emphasize a point directly related to the core of my talk, which is that one of the skills of the martyred leader and his great predecessor was bringing the people into all fields, their constant awareness and insight, and practical reliance on their power. In this sense, they embodied the reality of "the masses" and the "Republic," and they believed in it from the depths of their hearts. The effect of this appeared clearly during these few days in which the country remained without a leader and without a Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces; for the insight of the great Iranian people, their awareness in the recent incident, their steadfastness, courage, and presence astonished the enemy and aroused the admiration of friends. You, the people, are the ones who led the country and guaranteed its strength.

The verse with which I began this speech means that no sign among the signs of God is removed or forgotten except that God brings better than it or its like. The purpose of quoting this verse is not to suggest that this servant is at the level of the martyred leader, let alone to assume being better than him; rather, the intent is to draw attention to the great role you play, O dear people.

If that great blessing was lost, this system has once again been granted the presence of the Iranian people with an "Ammari" spirit. Know that if your power does not appear in the arena, neither the leadership nor the other institutions of the state—whose true purpose is to serve the people—will have the required effectiveness.

To better realize this meaning, the following should be considered:

➡️First: The remembrance of God Almighty, reliance upon Him, and seeking intercession through the lights of the Infallibles (peace be upon them) should be viewed as the greatest elixir that guarantees various conquests and inevitable victory over the enemy—a great advantage that you possess and your enemies lack.

➡️Second: Maintaining the unity of the people and their various segments—a unity that usually appears more clearly in times of hardship—by moving past points of disagreement.

➡️Third: Maintaining an effective presence in the arena, whether as you have shown during these days and nights of war, or through active roles in social, political, educational, cultural, and even security fields. The important thing is for everyone to understand their correct role without harming social unity. From here, I remind you of the importance of attending the Quds Day ceremonies for the year 1447 AH, where the element of breaking the enemy's pride must be present.

➡️Fourth: Do not slacken in helping one another. This is one of the well-known traits of Iranians, and it is expected to manifest more greatly in these difficult days that some members of the people may experience. I ask the service agencies to provide all possible aid to affected individuals and to popular relief organizations.