Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that he will stand up to anyone who refuses to accept the outcome of the upcoming May 19 presidential elections.

In his annual speech on the occasion of the arrival of the Iranian New Year, Ayatollah Khamenei spoke mostly about Iran’s economic situation as well as the coming polls. The March 21 Nowruz address was held at the shrine of the eighth Shiite Imam Reza in Mashhad, and follows Khamenei's issuing of a brief video message March 20.

Encouraging people to take part in the upcoming polls, Khamenei said, “Elections are a pivot of religious democracy. The election process is a source of glory and honor to the nation against foreign claims to the contrary; it is a source of national unity and makes the nation stand in line with a single lofty objective: to defeat the many political and government establishments [opposed to Iran]. The [1979 Islamic] Revolution provided religious democracy, which is based on elections. To participate [in the polls] and a high turnout is important, to which all should contribute.”

Warning against refusing to accept election results, the supreme leader added, “I would never intervene in the elections, and I wouldn’t even say whom to vote for. I would [only] do so when specific people and circles want to undermine the results of elections, as occurred in past elections.”