Alwaght- The West was the main backer of Saddam Hussein's war on Iran in the early 1980s, Iran's Supreme Leader Sayed Ali Khamenei said during an annual meeting of the armed forces commanders that marks the start of the Sacred Defense Week.
"The West promised Saddam weapons and diplomatic support and gave him the green light to invade Iran," he told the audience who were from current military commanders and the war veterans.
"The military invasion of the country was not unexpected. Yes, Saddam attacked, but behind Saddam was world arrogance," he said referring to the domineering Western powers led by the US, adding: "Arrogant countries also encouraged him and gave a green light and promised support to Saddam and they kept their promise."
He maintained that the aggression of these countries on a newly-established revolutionary system was completely natural, because they were extremely angry with the Iranian Islamic Revolution. "This revolution did things that we didn't notice that day, but global arrogance had noticed. This revolution was not just a momentary political defeat for arrogance; The Iranian Islamic Revolution was a threat to the West's global empire."
He noted that it was unacceptable for the US to see a nation defying it. So, it decided to deal a blow to the Islamic Revolution. The military coup and air assault on Tabas were measures they took to this end.
"They sought to teach other nations a lesson. To tell them that they should not revolt against the arrogance and oppression like the Iranians.
Younger generation should know the truth about war and the West
The Leader asked various organizations in the country to define the war realities to the youth and tell them how the West helped Saddam invade the country.
"You elders know a lot about Sacred Defense issues, but the new generation doesn't know much. We have to make the new generation know and understand the issues of Sacred Defense like you. This is what I expect from myself and others," he maintained.
He added: "I am in touch with the youth to some extent, sometimes a question is asked and something is said. I want these truths of Sacred Defense to reach their ears. The facts that we paied attention to in our Sacred Defense are not mere claims. We once claimed that the whole world fought against us. They admit this now."
His recommendations about explaining the reality to the youths is mainly to set light for the path of the new generation not to make mistakes in knowing the West and not being deceived by Western empty promises.