On Sunday, the first day of Iran’s new year, Nowruz, the supreme leader of the regime Ali Khamenei gave a televised message. In this speech, he tried to give a solution to the regime’s most challenging problems.

First, he confessed that his slogan of a ‘surge in production’ was a disaster and had failed: “In 2020, as we said in Nowruz, what was the goal as we named it was the surge in production, but it was not fulfilled completely. But we should not be unfair, it was progressive in some part important areas of production.”

Then he admitted to his first and most important concern which is the accumulation of the people’s fury and said: “Because of the disruptions that exist in the economy and livelihoods of the people, some are finding the opportunity for negativity and creating negative impressions that ‘there is no benefit, and we have no solutions.’ In cyberspace or in our press and mostly, unfortunately, in foreign advertising, some people are misusing the actual problems people are facing as an alibi to show a ‘deadlock’ and say, ‘sir, we cannot do anything more.’”

Then like many other officials in this regime, Khamenei lied about Iran’s economic growth, while the World Bank has announced that Iran’s economy has shrunk by 5.4 percent. Khamenei claimed:

“According to the World Bank experts, which is not our view, is the view of the first-class world economists who are in the World Bank experts of the World Bank, they say that the Iranian economy is ranked at the top of the world among the world’s top economies, ranked 18. Which means that from 200 countries and a wisdom of our world, we are the eighteenth economy.”

Then attacking his own government, Khamenei said: “A strong management should also lead it, but this management, of course, should be capable, which then in the subject of the election I will refer to, it should be strong and able to solve issues, and should be popular. It should be anti-corruption. Only then can this country become a country of economic advancement. Thus, no sanctions would work against it. It wouldn’t matter if sanctions are removed. Whether or not they are removed is irrelevant. When there is a progressive flourishing economy, others will feel necessity.”

About its second problem which are the sanctions, he said: “We can go two ways confronting the sanctions. One is to refer to the sanctioning entity and ask him and say that ‘Mr. you sanctioned us, we ask you, for example, to reduce these sanctions! Or remove them?’ Then he says, ‘OK there is no problem. Do some of what we want,’ then they will put some of their arrogant desires on the table and say ‘you must do this first. Then I will decrease some of the sanctions.’ This way is the way of abjection, degeneration and mustiness.”

Khamenei announced the second solution which of course is putting more pressure on the people: “There is another way, to say ‘no,’ and enable our internal force. We have good abilities. We activate these forces and produce the items that are sanctioned inside the country. On the other hand, when the opposite side sees that these products are produced domestically, they will panic.”

Then again, he attacked the regime’s president Hassan Rouhani and his faction and remind them not to look for the removal of the sanctions by President Joe Biden’s administration. Khamenei said: “The last point about economic issues, whether our dear authorities, who are right now, or those who will come later, our advice is not to tie the issue of the country’s economy to the elimination of the sanctions. Now in this electoral campaign the issue of the economy will be discussed. Do not keep the country’s economy waiting for others to make a decision and for sanctions be lifted.”

Then disappointed that the sanctions will be removed soon he added: “Suppose sanctions will remain. Plan the country’s economy based on the stability of the sanctions, and it can be planned, and we should not wait for others. One of our economic problems in these two, three, four years, was this way.”

Fearing the people’s boycott of the upcoming presidential elections, he added: “In terms of foreigners view, the elections and the presence of people and the participation of the people represent the national power. Because of this we all know and confess, that yes, the defensive facilities and powers of diplomacy, and so on, will give power to the country, there is no doubt in it, but most important are the people of a nation.”

Expressing his fear about the cyberspace and its consequences for the regime, he added: “Unfortunately, the virtual space of our country, which the necessary observance, despite all the emphasis that I gave is not done. In some way it is fully free. Those who are responsible must take care seriously.”

And about the Iran nuclear deal with global powers known commonly as the JCPOA and its negotiations, he said: “The second point is that the policy of the country in the way of appeasement of the JCPOA’s partners is explicitly announced, and there should not be any violation of this policy. This was the policy that was announced and was accepted.

“That means that this policy was not a special policy among the others. This policy was accepted by all. All are following this policy which means that the Americans should cancel all the sanctions. Then we will verify [whether they have done so]. If the (sanctions) are truly cancelled, then we will return to the JCPOA. That means without any problem we will return to our obligations; this is the definite policy.”