Ayatollah Khamenei accuses opposition of power-mongering

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told a gathering of Tehran's thousands of Basij militia members that election protesters of 2009 put their desire for power above the interests of the country.

Ayatollah Khamenei once more referred to the election protests as a “complex sedition” and accused the opposition of endangering the “interests of the country and the righteousness of its path.”

The leader of the Islamic Republic criticized the action of the opposition saying: “They acted in such a way that drew the excitement and support of Western leaders and the Iranian nation’s first grade enemies.”

The widespread crackdown on the peaceful protests in Iran and the repeated arrest and oppression of Iranian political activists has earned serious international criticism which the Islamic Republic establishment has immediately translated into a Western conspiracy to topple the regime.

Ayatollah Khamenei told the crowd of Basij members, which on many occasions the opposition have accused of carrying out the unconstitutional attacks against protesters, that the opposition fails to understand the truth or “perhaps they do realize it but fail to take the appropriate action.”

Ayatollah Khamenei condemned his detractors saying: “A society is either led by the just Imam …or it is run by human beings who know nothing of righteousness…it cannot be any other way.”

Several opposition members have criticized the Supreme Leader’s actions in the past year. Mehdi Karroubi, one of the chief opposition leaders, even went so far as accusing the institutions guarded by the Iranian leader of “violating public rights” and urged the Assembly of Experts to review the Supreme Leader’s actions.

The Assembly of Experts is the Islamic Republic institution that is charged with determining the eligibility of the supreme leader. However, despite repeated protests against Ayatollah Khamenei in the past year, the Assembly of Experts has repeatedly endorsed him with extensive praise.