Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks during a meeting with a group of first-time voters as well as families of martyrs, two days before the 12th Parliamentary elections and the 6th Assembly of Experts elections in the country.
He said the fact that the American military officer set himself on fire means that “this is heavy even for the young person who had been brought up in that culture.”
Even that person’s conscience is hurt, he remarked. “Of course, instead of one individual, a thousand individuals should have set themselves on fire.”
According to Ayatollah Khamenei although one person’s conscience has been awakened, the fact that the West is immersed in corruption and does not allow such awakening at mass levels.
He added that through the incident, “the Western culture introduced itself, exposed itself, laid bare how corrupt, how perverted, and how cruel it is.”
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Supreme Leader pointed to the upcoming elections, saying “strong and vibrant” elections are one of the pillars of the proper administration of the country.
“If we can show to the world that the nation is present in the important and defining scenes of the country, we have saved and moved the country forward,” he noted.
The Supreme Leader also argued that no one will benefit from “weak elections” and everyone will be hurt. Anyone who loves Iran, its people and its security should know this, he said.
“I am not accusing anyone, but I remind everyone that we should look at the elections from the national interests perspective, not from factional and group perspective. If the election is weak, everyone will be hurt,” he added.
Ayatollah Khamenei further advised those who are reluctant to vote and discourage others from voting to “think a little more.”
“Not voting leads to no achievements and does not resolve the country’s problems,” he maintained.