In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Rabi` al-Awwal 3,1399 AH
The great army of Iran, respectable officers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers- may Allah, the Most High strengthen them:
With due respect, I hereby declare that the Regency Council, the houses of the Parliament and the government created thereof are illegitimate and carry no national validity, and because the army is of the nation and the nation is of the army, supporting each other is their national duty. It is thus mandatory, with due respect to the nation and its decisive vote, for the army to distance itself from the usurping government «1» and make this matter known to all. I, on account of the leadership based on a religious law decree and the nation's almost total consensus, am introducing the provisional government in order to create a constitutional parliamentary assembly and (attend to) other preliminary affairs until the time that the honorable army can fulfill its legitimate and national duty, and, God willing, all the chaos and anarchy will be put to an end. Rest assured that if you (the army) perform your national and legitimate duty, the nation and the government arising from it will endeavor in honoring and supporting you.
You need not be reminded that in this sensitive and momentous period discord will lead to the collapse of the country's pillars and we will all be held responsible for the consequences. May God's peace be upon you.
Rouhullah al-Mousawi al-Khomeini