Iranian leader Ali Khamenei said Saturday that "the elites of our nation bear special responsibilities at this stage of the historic juncture."

In a message to the 56th annual meeting of the Union of Islamic Student Associations in Europe (UISAE), the Iranian leader considered the present political and military events as "part of the same historic turning point for the world, which was believed to be over," adding that "at this stage, the elites of our nation have special responsibilities."

Sayyed Khamenei noted the young elites' short-term responsibility of knowing the alignments and choosing the right stance and their medium-term responsibility of willing to play a role in developments for the benefit of the righteous front.

In a related context, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh said Saturday that Iran "opposes the US and NATO's devouring the world."

During the 15th Annual Conference of Iranian Students and Professors Overseas, held in Mashhad, Khatibzadeh pointed out that "the international system is changing, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union. We are opposed to the war and devouring world by the United States and NATO."

He indicated that "the ground for the current war between Russia and Ukraine has been prepared since three decades ago."

The Spokesperson stressed that Iran is strong enough and will spare no effort to protect the country’s national interests, independence, and territorial integrity.”

The Iranian diplomat underscored that Tehran will not allow any other state to interfere in the country's internal affairs.