Risk of War on Iran Eliminated by People, Not Officials: Leader

“Sometimes we hear some say, or have said before, that ‘when we came and assumed office, we managed to rid the country of the specter of war’, but these remarks are not correct, and the fact is that throughout the years, the presence of the (Iranian) nation in the scene has eliminated the specter of war and aggression against Iran,” Ayatollah Khamenei said on Sunday, in an address to a gathering of laborers in Tehran, on the occasion of the International Workers’ Day.

The Leader underscored that the main reason why the insolent enemies refrain from taking tough action against Iran is “their fear of the (Iranian) nation’s presence in the stage”.

Any gap between the people and the Establishment or the nation’s absence will encourage the enemies to do what they want, as they do in other parts of the world, Ayatollah Khamenei warned.

The Leader then referred to the people’s turnout in elections as the embodiment of the nation’s presence in the scene and support for the establishment, urging anyone “who likes the country, the Establishment, and security” to take part in the upcoming polls.

“Participation in the elections is determining when it comes to national security, and if the people go to the ballot boxes, the country will remain secure,” Ayatollah Khamenei stated.

Elsewhere, the Leader highlighted the necessity for caring about workers and their livelihood, saying one of the basic necessities for settling economic problems is respect for the rights of workers.

Cautioning against the negative consequences of unemployment, such as social damages, Ayatollah Khamenei called on the next administration to focus efforts on combatting unemployment.

A prerequisite for resolving the problem would be caring about national production in all fields, as in industry and agriculture, the Leader explained.

Ayatollah Khamenei then recommended the six candidates running for president to push for serving the nation rather than taking the power.

The Leader also urged the candidates to explicitly support the vulnerable groups of the society, and try to work in a “revolutionary” manner to tackle the woes.

Ayatollah Khamenei made it clear that revolutionary conduct is not synonymous with disorder, but it, rather, means making tireless efforts to settle people’s problems and stimulate production and employment instead of resorting to pageantry and pompous displays.

Iran will simultaneously hold the 12th presidential vote and the 5th City and Village Council elections on May 19.

Six candidates, namely Ebrahim Raisi, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Hassan Rouhani, Mostafa Hashemitaba, Mostafa Aqa-Mirsalim, and Eshaq Jahangiri have been singled out by the Guardian Council from among more than 1,600 applicants seeking presidency.

During the previous polls in June 2013, Rouhani garnered 50.7 percent of a total of over 36 million votes.

The number of eligible voters in the upcoming election is estimated to be around 1.5 million higher than the 50.5 million in the previous round.