Key excerpts: Khamenei speech

Iran' Supreme Leader has used a sermon at Friday prayers on 19 June 2009 in Tehran to deliver his views on the unrest in the country following disputed election results. Here are some of the key points from his speech.

ON VOTE RIGGING ACCUSATIONS

[Some] have expressed accusations and statements, against ... the country's official president, who has been chosen by people's votes. They have accused him wrongly, they have accused the reliable president of the country of being a liar.

The elections were a political earthquake for your enemy

Are these fair? They have created fake documents against the government and distributed them.

...

The laws and legal structure in our country do not allow for ballot rigging or cheating in elections. If the difference between two ballots were a few hundred thousands votes or even a million, it might be possible to understand accusations of cheating, but how is it possible to cheat 11 million votes?

People have faith, and those who support the election candidates must also have faith that the Islamic Republic will never cheat and betray people of their votes.

The elections were a political earthquake for your enemy.

ON STREET PROTESTS

It is wrong for some people to assume that by taking to the streets, they can pressure the Islamic establishment, and pressure the officials into forced compromise. It is a mistake to make such an assumption.

People made the choice - millions voted for one candidate, millions for another

Struggling on the streets after elections is not acceptable. It diminishes the electoral process and democracy. I call on all sides to put a stop to such actions; these are not correct actions.

If they do not stop these actions, then any consequences will be their responsibility.

If after each election, those who don't get enough votes take their supporters to the streets, and in reaction, those who have won also take to the streets, then what is the point of having an election?

ON THE CANDIDATES

People made the choice. Millions voted for one candidate, millions for another candidate.

The dispute is not between groups within the Islamic establishment and outside the Islamic establishment. This is not a dispute between those for and against the revolution. This dispute is between elements within the framework of the Islamic establishment. And the people who voted for the four candidates did so by depending and trusting in the Islamic establishment.

...

I know all four presidential candidates personally. I do not agree with all their points of views - some of their opinions and behaviours are with no doubt criticisable [and] I believe some are more eligible for serving the country comparing to others. But choosing was and is the people's job, people have elected.

Differences of opinion do exist between officials which is natural. But it does not mean there is a rift in the system.

Ever since the last presidential election there existed differences of opinion between [President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad and [former president Akbar Hashemi] Rafsanjani. Of course my outlook is closer to that of Ahmadinejad in domestic and foreign policy.

ON FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS

Trust [by the people of the Islamic establishment] is the biggest asset of the Islamic Republic. They [foreign powers] want to remove this trust from the Islamic Republic, they want to sow doubt and confusion about the electoral process. They want to shake the trust that people have.

Struggling on the streets after elections is not acceptable

The enemies of the Iranian nation know that when trust is undermined it weakens unity.

...

Top diplomats of several Western countries who talked to us so far within diplomatic formalities are showing their real face and most of all, the British government.

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The enemies are targeting the Islamic establishment's legitimacy by questioning the election and its authenticity before and after [the election].

After street protests, some foreign powers ... started to interfere in Iran's state matters by questioning the result of the vote. They do not know the Iranian nation.

I strongly condemn such interference. American officials' remarks about human rights and limitations on people are not acceptable because they have no idea about human rights after what they have done in Afghanistan and Iran and other parts of the world. We do not need advice over human rights from them.