"Strike like lightning": Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei hails Army on Farvardin 29

Tehran [Iran], April 18 (ANI): Marking his first Army Day since ascending to the leadership, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei issued a high-stakes message on Saturday, commending the Islamic Republic of Iran Army for its "courageous defence" during the recent 40-day war against the US-Israeli coalition.
In a statement marking Farvardin 29, the Leader characterised the military's performance as a pivotal victory over "disbelief and arrogance," claiming the conflict exposed the "weakness and humiliation" of Iran's adversaries.
In a series of posts shared on the account purportedly attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei, the Supreme Leader hailed Iran's army for courageously defending the country from aggressors.
The message carried deep personal and historical weight, coinciding with the birth anniversary of his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the initial strikes of the recent conflict in February.
He said, "necessary measures for realising the line of progress in the various capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Army will be issued."

باذن‌ الله در افقی نزدیک تدابیر لازمه برای تحقق خطّ ترقی توانمندیهای مختلف ارتش جمهوری اسلامی صادر خواهد شد.

— رسانه رهبر انقلاب اسلامی (@Rahbarenghelab_) April 18, 2026

As per Press TV, Mojtaba Khamenei stressed that the army's progress must be pursued with intensified effort.
Mojtaba Khamenei described the 1979 Revolution as the moment the army left the "tyrannical Pahlavi orbit" to find its place in the "embrace of the people."
In his post, he added, "After the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the army stood in its proper place and, instead of belonging to the tyrannical and corrupt Pahlavi regime, was embraced in the warm bosom of the nation."

پس از پیروزی انقلاب اسلامی ارتش، در جای صحیح خود ایستاد و به جای آنکه متعلق به نظام طاغوتی و فاسد پهلوی باشد در آغوش گرم ملت قرار گرفت.

— رسانه رهبر انقلاب اسلامی (@Rahbarenghelab_) April 18, 2026

He credited his late father with preserving the army against early calls for its dissolution, vowing to double the efforts to enhance its strategic capabilities.
Referring to the Army as the "child of the nation", he underlined how it has continued to bravely defend the water and soil in the current as well as previous wars.

ارتش فرزند ملت است و از دل خانه‌های مردم برمی‌آید.

— رسانه رهبر انقلاب اسلامی (@Rahbarenghelab_) April 18, 2026

The Supreme Leader specifically highlighted the technological and naval advancements that defined the recent 40-day engagement.
"Just as Iranian army drones strike like lightning against American and Zionist criminals, its brave naval force stands ready to make enemies taste the bitterness of new defeats."

ارتش اسلام اینک همچون دو جنگ تحمیلی سابق، دلاورانه از آب و خاک و پرچمی که به آن تعلق دارد دفاع میکند.

— رسانه رهبر انقلاب اسلامی (@Rahbarenghelab_) April 18, 2026

According to Press TV, Mojtaba Khamenei, in a sombre moment, paid tribute to generations of commanders who shaped the military over five decades. He specifically honoured the "recent martyrs" of the 40-day war.
He noted that their sacrifices, alongside the seamless synergy with the Revolutionary Guard, allowed the armed forces to "inflict heavy blows" despite the scale of the aggression faced.
Among those he mentioned were commanders Qarani, Fallahi, Namjou, Fakouri, Babaei, Setari, Ardestani, Sayyad Shirazi, as well as the ones recently killed in the US-Israel and Iran conflict, such as Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi and Aziz Nasirzadeh.
The 40-day war, which concluded with a ceasefire on April 8, saw the Iranian army and the IRGC coordinate a massive series of retaliatory strikes against coalition installations across the region after the initial US-Israeli campaign, Operation Epic Fury/Roaring Lion, targeted Iranian leadership and infrastructure.
Looking toward the future, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei signalled that the "orbit of weakness" is permanently closed. He announced that a new set of measures for the further advancement of the army's domains--likely focusing on drone proliferation and maritime blockade capabilities--would be issued in the "near future."
Meanwhile, Speaker of Iran's Parliament Mohhamed Baqer Qalibaf also praised the Army, calling it a symbol of Iran's "power and security" as per Press TV.
Iran's Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i also congratulated army personnel and the people of Iran on the occasion of the Army Day.
As per Press TV, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi praised the role of the armed forces and said that the peace, security, and prosperity of the country are the direct result of the sacrifices of Iran's army.
In a post on X, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baqaei, paid tributes to the personnel of the Navy's Dena Destroyer and those killed in defending the country. (ANI)