Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called on the nation’s citizens to participate in upcoming parliamentary elections despite America’s and Israel’s “evil intentions” and Washington’s alleged pressure to divide the Iranian people from the government.
“These elections are the response to the chicanery and deception of Iran’s enemies”, Khamenei said on Tuesday during a meeting devoted to the anniversary of the 1978 Tabriz uprising, as quoted by PressTV.
The supreme leader of Iran also recalled how millions of people took to the streets across the country to celebrate the 41st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution last week, as well as earlier to mourn the death of General Qasem Soleimani, insisting that the same kind of turnout should be expected on 21 February.
“The same thing should happen in the elections, meaning that the enemies should see for themselves that, in spite of their persistence in attempting to drive a wedge between the people and the establishment, people receive the elections well, which is reason for pride for the Islamic establishment”, Khamenei stated..
He went on to say that the parliamentary elections would be watched closely by Iran’s enemies, who were trying too hard to exert economic pressure on Iran’s population.
Khamenei’s remarks follow comments by US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook, as well as some representatives of the Iranian opposition that the 21 February elections would be nothing but a “sham”. Khamenei didn’t mince words during the gathering, denouncing “the first-class idiots in the US” for saying “nonsense” about Iran.
The 21 February election will see the 290-seat Islamic Consultative Assembly being occupied by 285 directly elected members from 196 Iranian constituencies. The interim elections for Iran’s Assembly of Experts will also be held on the same day.
