Zarif Says Iran’s Greatest Strategic Asset Is Its ‘Valiant People’
The former Iranian foreign minister said no invasion or pressure could force the Iranian people to surrender, according to a post reported by IRNA.
Former Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on X, in remarks reported by IRNA, that Iran’s greatest strategic asset is its “valiant people.” He also said that no invasion or pressure could force the nation to surrender and referred to a farewell ceremony and deaths in Minab, without further details provided in the available report.
TEHRAN — Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s former foreign minister, has described the country’s people as its greatest strategic asset, placing them above geography and even its armed forces in his assessment of Iran’s national strength.
According to a report by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Zarif made the remarks in a post on the social-media platform X. He wrote that Iran’s “greatest strategic asset, beyond its geography and its brave armed forces, is its valiant people.”
Zarif’s statement framed public resilience as a central element of Iran’s ability to withstand external pressure. He added that no invasion or pressure could compel the Iranian people to surrender.
In the same post, Zarif referred to what he described as the attendance of millions of people at a farewell ceremony for Iran’s leader. He said the leader had been killed in Minab alongside family members and 168 schoolchildren, attributing the deaths to what he called “the worst criminals” and describing the act as a cowardly assassination.
The remarks combine a message of national solidarity with a condemnation of the killing described in Zarif’s post. His emphasis was not limited to military capabilities or Iran’s geographic position; instead, he presented the population’s willingness to endure pressure as the country’s decisive strategic resource.
IRNA identified Zarif as the former foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran and reported his comments as statements made on his personal account. The available report does not provide further details about the farewell ceremony, the individuals involved, or the circumstances surrounding the deaths referenced in the post.
Zarif concluded by reiterating that external force would not make the Iranian people submit. His message therefore placed popular resolve at the center of his argument about Iran’s capacity to resist invasion and pressure.