Mohammad Khatami tried to buy the goodwill of the ruling faction of the regime headed by the mullahs’ Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, by pleading that, “Many of those who have pinned hopes on the revolution have grown anxious over the current situation. … This is effectively a result of their loyalty to the revolution and the Islamic Republic system … We are people who have wanted and still want to see a strong, reputable and credible Islamic Republic. But, the status that the Islamic Republic currently has in terms of management of affairs in the world is not very favorable.”
While describing efforts to overthrow the regime a red line, Khatami added, “Overthrow [of the regime] is our red line; Efforts to overthrow include both taking up arms and also organizing people with the aim of uprooting the system.”
Warning about the growing trend of accessibility to information and heightened awareness, Khatami said, “The threat that exists today is that attention is being drawn to the heart of the system … In view of the fact that access to information cannot be curbed, this will make those who do not accept the core of the system and the revolution to gain control.”