‘Resistance, steadfastness’ sole way to confront enemy: Raeisi in Caracas

Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi has rebuked the Western hegemony seeking to dominate the world, saying the only way to confront the enemy is through resistance and steadfastness.

Raeisi made the remarks in a speech at a meeting with Venezuela’s university students and young elites at the Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex in the capital Caracas on Tuesday as he discussed contemporary geopolitics and the perspectives of the new world order.

“This mentality is completely wrong that by surrendering to the enemy, it will retreat. We should not give in to an enemy that intends to plunder the entire material and spiritual interests of the nations,” Raeisi said. “The Iranian nation’s experience has shown that the only way to confront the enemy is to stand up and resist."

Stressing that today’s world order benefits those seeking domination, the Iranian president said, “The current international order is the order that favors imperialism and only seeks dominance over the people. What they demand is that we ... sell our natural resources, and grant them to whoever they want, [but] not for the benefit of our peoples.”

Raeisi said during his speech that there are two prerequisites for the victory of a nation, namely relying on God and trusting in the nation’s own assets. “Some people believe that the enemy will give in or back down if we bow down. However, we will defeat the enemy as long as there is resistance.”

The Iranian chief executive added that today’s unjust international order has some means and tools, including the media empire and the issue of human rights, to advance its goals.

“The Americans are the first violators of human rights, but they condemn others while doing so,” Raeisi noted. “The discovery of dead bodies in Canada is one of the manifestations of efforts by the global arrogance" to undermine human rights.

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Emphasizing that the Islamic Republic of Iran is opposed to any kind of war and military intervention, the president said, “Any country that wants to live independently will be sanctioned and threatened by the hegemonic system.”

Raeisi went on to say that the hegemonic system interferes in the internal affairs of independent countries, adding that, for instance, the great people of Venezuela saw how the Americans wanted to interfere in their destiny.

"We will resist until a new international order is established. We have been with the Venezuelan people in difficult days and we will stay together," he said, adding that “independent countries are coming to the fore, while imperialism is in decline. This means a great future for the peoples of Iran, Venezuela, and other sovereign countries."

The Iranian president arrived in Caracas on Monday, leading a high-ranking delegation at the formal invitation of his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro.

The delegation, comprised of ministers of foreign affairs, oil, defense, and health, is accompanying Raeisi on the five-day tour, which will also take him to Nicaragua and Cuba.

Iran has close ties with many Latin American states in different domains and seeks to further deepen its relations with those nations.

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