“The US fury at the Iranian people is over the captivating image of an independent nation standing against a bully,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with hajj officials in Tehran on Monday, Leader.ir reported.
The Leader noted that this appealing image for the world community needs to be utilized to promote the truth of Islam and highlight Iranian values, according to Financial Tribune.
In reference to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s remarks on the need for Iran to behave like a "normal nation", the Leader said, "What Americans mean is that the Islamic Revolution abandon its integration of the popular vote with religious principles."
Ayatollah Khamenei said the world is unfamiliar with the idea of religious democracy.
“We can use the opportunity of the hajj ritual to promote this model and expound on the root cause of American hostility [toward Iran] and the Iranian people's line of reasoning for resistance," he said.
Pompeo has repeatedly called on Iran to curb its development of ballistic missiles and change its regional behavior.
The Leader underscored the importance of hajj pilgrimage as a serious global movement and emphasized "the attendance of Iranian pilgrims", "the recitation of the holy Qur’an by accomplished reciters" and the need for "professional translators" to communicate the Iranians’ message toothers.
This year’s hajj season begins in June and ends in mid-August.