The remarks were made in a message issued on Friday to mark Government Week, which is observed annually in memory of President Mohammad Ali Rajai and Prime Minister Mohammad Javad Bahonar, who were assassinated in the bombing of the prime minister’s office on 30 August 1981, Press TV reports.
Ayatollah Khamenei paid tribute to the late Presidents Rajai and Ebrahim Raeisi, the late Prime Minister Bahonar, government employees and officials from various administrations, and the late Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who served nearly two terms as president.
He also commended government employees and managers, particularly President Pezeshkian, for their efforts under what he described as difficult circumstances.
“In particular, I commend the worthy measures they have taken, despite the various restrictions and plots of the American-Zionist enemy, and the intensification of sanctions and blockades, during the third imposed war and afterward, to ensure the provision of goods and various services needed by the people, repair key damaged areas, and manage energy,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
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He said the Iranian people, who had “demonstrated their true mettle” during the past six months amid what he called US-Israeli aggression, deserved to benefit from effective public services and governance.
The Supreme Leader stressed the need to address economic and livelihood challenges, including inflation, while focusing on “boosting production, gradually phasing out the dollar from its important role, and ultimately placing the entire set of resistance economy policies at the centre”.
“The key to resolving all these matters in this field lies in relying as much as possible on domestic production,” he said, adding that imports should be used “properly and wisely” where domestic production is insufficient.
Although the actions of Iran’s adversaries during and after the war had an impact, he said more effective management, greater use of expert knowledge and public participation, and the mobilisation of new capacities could help advance the country’s development.
“The sworn enemy of this nation seeks to convey that the path to development and progress lies in following it and complying with its unreasonable demands; whereas observing what it has done to this country and its resources in past periods, even years before the Islamic Revolution, shows otherwise,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
He also highlighted the importance of adopting technologies and innovations developed by young specialists, saying that timely use of new ideas and a willingness to move beyond established procedures could accelerate national progress.
Elsewhere in the message, Ayatollah Khamenei described preserving national unity and social cohesion as a fundamental priority.
“Undoubtedly, every discouraging statement that weakens national and public motivation, and every kind of imagined dichotomy — such as war or negotiations, consensus or extremism, compromise or warmongering — which in the past inflicted direct or indirect harm on our dear people, can have the same effect from now on,” he said.
“Therefore, I firmly declare that committing any act that harms social cohesion is prohibited,” he added.
The Supreme Leader also called for culture, education and upbringing to be treated as priorities across all government policies.
He said special attention should be paid to teachers, university and seminary instructors, nurses and doctors working in public institutions, as well as homemakers, whom he described as playing an important role in shaping the country’s cultural future through raising children.
Ayatollah Khamenei expressed hope that implementing these priorities would contribute to building what he described as an “ever-stronger Iran”.
