The late Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, always viewed Armenia not just as a neighboring state, but as a sincere friend, and the Armenian community of the Islamic Republic made an invaluable contribution to the country’s defense during the Iran-Iraq war.

The Iranian ambassador to Armenia, Khalil Shirgholami, stated this during an evening event in memory of Khamenei, which took place Wednesday at the cultural center adjacent to Yerevan’s Blue Mosque.

The Iranian diplomat emphasized that during Ali Khamenei’s reign, Tehran built relations with Yerevan on the basis of deep mutual respect, and this relationship was never limited to political expediency or formality good neighborliness.

“Ayatollah Khamenei always paid special attention to relations with Armenia, calling it a ‘sincere neighbor,’ and treated this country with exceptional respect. His approach, which was aimed at continuously strengthening ties between our peoples, will continue also in the future,” the Iranian envoy to Armenia assured.

Separately, he focused on the approach of the Supreme Leader toward Iran towards Iranian Armenians. As part of the memorial evening, a documentary film dedicated to the life and service of Ali Khamenei was shown to the guests. In particular, it told about his visits to the homes of Christian families who had lost their sons during the Iran-Iraq war, from 1980 to 1988.

Shirgholami recalled how respectfully the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic spoke about the endurance of the parents of the fallen Armenian soldiers, emphasizing their patriotism and loyalty to the homeland.

“For us, the Armenian community [of Iran] is not just a religious minority, but an integral part of a united people, its centuries-old history, culture and endurance,” the Iranian ambassador to Armenia stressed. According to him, this documentary film has clearly shown that for Iran and Armenia, faith, family, defense of sovereignty, and the memory of fallen heroes remain a shared basis.

Summing up the evening, the Iranian envoy to Armenia noted that the tragic death of Ali Khamenei as a result of the strikes in late February will not change Tehran's strategic course, and the image of the Supreme Leader will remain a benchmark for the further development of Armenian-Iranian brotherhood.

Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the US-Israeli aggression against Iran, on February 28. His death was officially confirmed on March 1. Mourning events in Iran began on July 3, and on Thursday Khamenei will be buried in his native city of Mashhad.