Leader Views Ahvaz Attack as Continuation of US-Backed  Regional Regimes' Conspiracies

The following is the full text of the message:

In the Name of God, the Exalted

The tragic and heartrending incident of the martyrdom of a group of our dear people in Ahvaz at the hands of the mercenary terrorists has once again exposed the atrocity and viciousness of the enemies of the Iranian nation. These hardhearted mercenaries who open fire on innocent women, children and men are the dependents of the same bogus and duplicitous advocates of human rights. Their spiteful hearts cannot bear to see the manifestation of national sovereignty during Armed Forces parade. Their crime is a continuation of the conspiracies by the US-backed regimes in the region which have aimed at creating insecurity in our dear country. However, to their dismay, the Iranian nation will persist on the noble and prideful path they have taken and will—like before—overcome all animosities.

I hereby express my solidarity and sympathy with the families of these dear martyrs and I ask God for patience and divine calm for them as well as the elevation of the heavenly ranks of the martyrs. The intelligence sectors must swiftly and meticulously track and prosecute the purveyors of these criminals and hand them in to the powerful judiciary.

Sayyid Ali Khamenei