Qods Force Commander Qasem Soleimani said in a speech that aired on IRINN TV (Iran) on February 22 that the spreading of the culture of Jihad and martyrdom has "unique and positive implications on moral, religious, and national aspects." He said that the Islamic Revolution has yielded a "powerful deterrence" in the form of Hizbullah and Islamic movements like Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and other Palestinian Islamic groups, and he assured the crowd that no decision is made or implemented without first taking Iranian national interests into consideration. Soleimani also said that Wahhabism has Jewish roots and that the Saudi Arabia has been conspiring with the Zionist regime to "shatter" Pakistan. The speech was delivered at a ceremony commemorating Iranians "martyrs" from the city of Babol and who had been killed in Syria against the backdrop of claims that Iran is wasting money fighting in Syria and Iraq.

Following are excerpts:

Qasem Soleimani: The spreading of the culture of Jihad and martyrdom has very unique and positive implications on the moral, religious, and national aspects.

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Imam [Khomeini] has given two issues precedence in the world of Islam: The Palestinian cause and the danger of Wahhabism.

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When Imam [Khomeini] raised the issue of American Islam, the most important issue he discussed was Wahhabism as American Islam.

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On the basis of the Islam created by Imam [Khomeini] through his revolution, a blessed and valuable creature was born in Lebanon: Hizbullah.

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If the world of Islam feels that it possesses a powerful deterrence today, it is due to the existence of two important, strong, and Islamic-based forces created in Lebanon and in Palestine: Hizbullah and Islamic movements like Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and the rest of the Palestinian Islamic groups.

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I say this with certainty, as your son and as a soldier of the Leader and this nation: No decision is made or implemented anywhere without taking our national interests into consideration. Our national interests have top priority. Supporting Islam is part of our national interest. If we had not relied on Islam, we could not have possessed such a force of resistance.

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Wahhabism has Jewish roots.

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Saudi Arabia has foreign currency reserves to the tune of $1,000 billion. But today, there is a powerful movement that is based on Islam, which has confronted this financial power – this bank full of money – and has defeated it. They have operated for four years and have spent billions of dollars against the poor and oppressed [Houthi] Ansar Allah organization, but they are paralyzed, despite all their financial coalitions.

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The influence of Saudi money has infiltrated Pakistan. Along with behind-the-scenes involvement of the Zionist regime and Wahhabism, their goal is to shatter Pakistan to smithereens. The Pakistani army must not let this happen.