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Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since before the war, issued a written message Saturday for Army Day declaring that Iran's navy is "ready to make the enemies taste the bitterness of new defeats."
He praised the armed forces for exposing the "weakness and humiliation" of the United States and Israel and pledging that the capabilities of the Islamic Republic's army would be further strengthened.
Khamenei addressed the armed forces in a formal message published by Tasnim News Agency to mark the April 19 anniversary of the Islamic Republic's Army Day.
"The Army of Islam is now, just like in the two previous imposed wars, bravely defending the land, water and flag that belongs to it. Relying on its strong divine and popular foundation, in dense and solid ranks, it stands shoulder to shoulder with other fighters of the armed forces, grappling with the two armies at the forefront of the front of disbelief and arrogance, exposing their weakness and humiliation to the eyes of the world. Just as its drones strike like lightning upon the American and Zionist aggressors, its valiant navy is ready to make the enemies taste the bitterness of new defeats," Khamenei said.
Khamenei framed the current war within the revolutionary historical narrative, saying the Islamic Revolution had ended the era of weakness imposed on the army by enemies of Iran and internal traitors.
He said the army had since "stood in its rightful place" and become part of the people.
He also commemorated April 19 as the birthday of his father and predecessor, whose death in the opening U.S.-Israeli airstrikes triggered Hezbollah's entry into the conflict, calling him "the great martyr leader, the unique figure of the era, who made the greatest effort from the first decade of the revolution to preserve the army."
Khamenei pledged that the army's capabilities would be further developed.
"The line of progress of the various capabilities of this authentic popular institution, which guards from east to west and from north to south of the country, must be pursued doubly, and Allah willing, in the near horizon, the necessary measures for its realization will be issued," he said.
He closed by sending greetings to all members of the army and special condolences to the families of those killed in "the imposed war of America and the Zionist regime against the great Iranian nation."
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