Ayatollah Khamenei: The Year 1394 Was a Mixture of Sweetness and Bitterness

In his Nowruz message, the leader of the Islamic Republic stated that the past year was a mixture of 'sweetness and bitterness.' Referring to the nuclear agreement between Tehran and six world powers, he noted that this agreement 'sparked hope' but also 'came with concerns.' Ayatollah Khamenei mentioned the tragic incident of hundreds of Iranian pilgrims killed during last year's Hajj as one of the bitter events, while he cited the 'February 22 rally and the March 7 elections' as sweet events of 1394. Like in recent years, he has named 1395 as the year of 'resistance economy, action, and implementation.' 'Resistance economy' is a term frequently used by the leader and some government officials in Iran. Khamenei first used this term in 1389. In his Nowruz message, he stated that this form of economy is 'the remedy for economic problems and a response to the demands of the people.' Some analysts suggest that these terms likely reflect policies aimed at increasing Iran's economic resilience against Western powers and sanctions while also stemming from a vision that sees the country as a 'besieged fortress.' The leader said, 'Government reports indicate that extensive work has been done in this area (resistance economy),' but he added, 'these efforts are preliminary and consist of circulars and directives to various agencies.' Over the past years, Iran has been under extensive sanctions from the Security Council, the U.S., the European Union, and their allies. These sanctions ended with the achievement of the nuclear agreement and its implementation in 1394. Ayatollah Khamenei has conditionally agreed to the nuclear agreement. Some of his close associates have stated that the leader is not satisfied with the text of the nuclear agreement. In his Nowruz message, the topic of the 'Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action' (JCPOA) was addressed in a dual manner. He said, 'The experience of the JCPOA and the hopes it raised and the concerns that accompany it' were among the events of the past year.