IRNA � Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said Iranians from all walks of life endorsed the Islamic establishment through massive turnout in the May 19 presidential elections and proved that the country will never tolerate insults and threats.

He made the remarks in a ceremony marking liberation anniversary of Khorramshahr, noting that May 24 is a great day in the life of the Iranian nation.

Iraqi Ba�th regime intended to capture the Iranian territory and they had come to stay here not to go, but they got nothing and left the city after a hard defeat, he said.

Occupied by Iraqi troops in the early days of the eight-year Iraq's imposed war against Iran (1980-88), Khorramshahr was finally liberated on May 24, 1982, after two days of heavy fighting and sacrifices made by the Iranian forces.

Khorramshahr people stood strongly against the enemy with the least military equipment to defend their land, Deqan said.

The Iranian minister further contended that for the arrogant powers and Zionist regime, freedom of expression and thought is not important, but they only think about their own interests. They are all ready to trample upon real human rights in other countries in order to achieve their interests.

Today, Saudi Arabia is attacking Yemen under the pretext of human rights and world powers have remained onlookers, he said, noting that if a country lacks independence and identity, nothing will remain for it.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Dehqan said that trampling upon human rights by the Bahraini government and detention of a spiritual leader is among other clear cases of human rights violation.

If a person in Bahrain wishes to protect the nation�s rights and express their demands, they try to silence them soon, he said.

Noting that Iran is a respectable nation before the world powers, Dehqan said that Iran's power, derived from the eight years of sacred defense, has made the world powers look at Iran respectfully.