Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

4 years will go fast, don’t waste time of Iranian people, Khamenei tells new cabinet at first formal meeting

4 years will go fast, don’t waste time of Iranian people, Khamenei tells new cabinet at first formal meeting

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called on the incoming government not to waste time and deliver on a promise to uphold public trust, both with their work and their lifestyles.
Khamenei, the powerful supreme leader of Iran who has much say in its policies, had his first formal meeting with the incoming cabinet of President Ebrahim Raisi on Saturday. Most of the ministers have already been approved by the country’s parliament.

The 82-year-old Iranian leader said he held similar events with many of Raisi’s predecessors and said the president and his ministers should not drag their feet after taking their new offices.

“These four years will end soon, so use every hour, every opportunity. Do not let time be wasted when it belongs to the people and to Islam,” he said, as cited by the Iranian media.

Raisi, a conservative former judge, was formally appointed president of Iran by Khamenei earlier this month. He took the helm of a nation ravaged by US-imposed economic sanctions and the Covid-19 epidemic. The hardships fuel public discontent and occasionally lead to disturbances, which Tehran says get fanned up by Iran’s foreign enemies. Raisi pledged to build up public trust and reconnect the people of Iran with their government.

Khamenei complemented the president's surprise visit on Friday to the western Khuzestan province, which recently suffered from freshwater shortages and mass protests. He also said state officials should be aware of public perceptions and practice “modesty in manners and character and avoid aristocratic styles and looking down at people from a high position.”

He added there was much hard work to do for the Raisi government and that its decisions should first and foremost be just, if the Iranian people are to accept them.

Speaking about foreign policy, Khamenei suggested the government boost international trade, including with its turbulent neighbor Afghanistan. He called it a “brotherly nation” and offered his condolences over the terrorist attack outside Kabul airport on Thursday.

He blamed the US for the state of Afghanistan, and reiterated his mistrust of Washington, which he said should be maintained regardless of who holds the Oval Office.

“The current US administration does not differ from the previous administration,” he stressed. “There is a predatory wolf behind the scenes of US foreign policy that sometimes turns into a cunning fox. The situation in Afghanistan today is an example of US policy.”

The US is pulling its military presence from Afghanistan, as was agreed with the Taliban under the Trump administration. The pull-out led to a collapse of the government in Kabul, which Washington and its allies had propped up for two decades. The Thursday bombing, which was claimed by the Afghan branch of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), targeted Afghans trying to get out of the country with Western troops, as well as the Taliban and NATO troops guarding the airport.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
×