Iran's Supreme Leader delivers New Year's greeting

PANews reported on March 20 that, according to CCTV International News, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a written congratulatory message for the upcoming Nowruz holiday (March 21), also known as the Iranian New Year. Khamenei stated that Iran experienced multiple rounds of "military and security conflicts" over the past year, resulting in casualties including military commanders and civilians. He accused Israel of launching attacks on Iran with US support, stating that the actions failed to achieve their intended objectives. Regarding the domestic situation, Khamenei said that external forces attempted to influence Iranian social stability through economic pressure and public opinion manipulation, but the mobilization capacity and social cohesion of the Iranian people effectively thwarted these attempts. On the economic front, Khamenei emphasized the need to strengthen national resilience through the development of a "resistance economy," improving people's livelihoods, and infrastructure construction. On the diplomatic front, he stated that Iran will continue to prioritize relations with its neighbors and called on regional countries, including Pakistan and Afghanistan, to strengthen cooperation and unity.