Ghalibaf says Iran’s enemies “learned a lesson”

• Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf visited the family of slain Basij chief Gholamreza Soleimani.
• Ghalibaf said Iran's enemies had confronted the country on economic, military and cultural fronts.
• He said Iran's armed forces and people had managed to "teach the enemy a good lesson."

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Thursday that Iran had stood firm against its enemies during what he described as a 40-day war, saying the country had faced pressure on economic, military and cultural fronts. Iranian media reported the remarks.

Ghalibaf made the remarks during a visit to the family of Major General Gholamreza Soleimani, the former head of Iran's Basij Organization, who Iranian authorities say was killed during the war by what they described as the "American-Zionist enemy."

Marking the beginning of Iran's Sacred Defense Week, Ghalibaf said the previous seven months had been difficult for many Iranians and particularly hard for families of those killed in the conflict.

He described Soleimani as a hardworking and dedicated figure and said he had considered it his duty to visit the family.

Ghalibaf said Iran's adversaries had confronted the country across multiple fronts.

"As our martyred Imam said, all of Islam and all of disbelief have stood against one another," he said, according to remarks published by Iranian state media. "In this hybrid war,  economic, military and cultural, all the devils have gathered , and stood against the Iranian people."

He said Iran's armed forces and population had responded to the challenge.

"The enemy came with all its strength but, thanks to the martyrs, our martyred Imam, and the determination and honor of our armed forces and our people, we were able to teach the enemy a good lesson," Ghalibaf said.

He also called for greater unity among Iranians and said the country would overcome what he called existing dangers and "conspiracies" under the leadership of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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