Leader warns of enemies\' attempts to slow down Iran\'s rapid scientific progress

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said Iran has made remarkable and rapid technological and scientific progress during the last three decades despite sanctions and pressures, and enemies are seeking to slow down or stop this progress. \"The young elites and all the Iranian officials and nation should know that the main focus of the front which has today stood against the Islamic Republic is preventing the empowerment of Iran in the field of science and technology,\" Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing a large number of young Iranian elites and researchers in Tehran on Wednesday. \"In analyzing all political, economic, regional and international events and issues, this realistic and major view should rule that there is a powerful front in the world which doesn’t want the Islamic Iran to turn into a powerful country and nation in different fields, specially in science and technology,\" he added. Ayatollah Khamenei underlined the necessity for continued rapid scientific progress in Iran, and said, \"Materialization of the Islamic Revolution\'s historical mission needs the accelerating scientific movement of the country to continue without slowing down and without any stop, pause or hesitation and laziness.\" In relevant remarks last October, Ayatollah Khamenei hailed the country\'s experts and scientists for their strenuous efforts which have resulted in Iran\'s rapid scientific advancement, and urged the country\'s researchers not to hesitate one moment about continuing their firm movement on the path of progress. Ayatollah Khamenei expressed pleasure in the atmosphere of dialogue and interaction dominating the country\'s scientific move and progress, but meantime urged the Iranian scientists to accelerate their efforts. \"Of course there is one concern that a status of satiation and satisfaction will be created due to the country\'s rapid scientific move and this is while we are still at the start of the path and this (present) scientific speed should not be decelerated or stopped,\" he underlined. Ayatollah Khamenei said that Iran is lagging behind the world\'s top countries in area of science and technology because it had been ruled by dependent, ignorant and autocratic rulers for centuries. Thus, this wide distance with the world\'s top scientific powers and the existence of rather powerful rivals in the region double the necessity for Iran\'s accelerated scientific move towards a top position in area of science which deserves the Iranian nation\'s prestige, he added. Iran has taken wide strides in science and technology, particularly in medical and medicinal fields, in recent years.