Early in the morning, we flew toward Dasht-e Naz Airport and from there took a plane to Kalaleh Airport in eastern Mazandaran. We passed through the city of Kalaleh. People on both sides of its long street were expressing their feelings. We were not supposed to have a ceremony there, and surely people expected one, but
Early in the day, we flew to Dasht-e Naz Airport, and from there, we traveled by plane to Kalaleh Airport in eastern Mazandaran. We passed through the town of Kalaleh; people lined both sides of its long main street, expressing their sentiments. No ceremony had been planned there—though the people clearly expected one—but it was not part of the itinerary. They had even gathered in front of the airport.
We proceeded to the 50,000-ton silo [in Galikash], located beside the Mazandaran–Mashhad road. Officials from the Ministry of Construction Jihad (Jihad-e Sazandegi) provided an overview, noting that the silo had been both designed and constructed by the Ministry. I performed the groundbreaking for its expansion project, and the facility was officially inaugurated. Local residents had gathered nearby, so I delivered a brief address to them. Among the officials present, I expressed my appreciation for the efforts of the Construction Jihad. Additionally, a group of engineers involved in tower construction requested support for the building of a 400-meter-tall tower [the Milad Tower] in Tehran.
The helicopters were prepared, though some faced refueling issues. We flew to Gonbad with half of the fleet and attended a large public gathering at the sports stadium. Both Sunni and Shia Friday Prayer Imams offered welcoming remarks and presented their community’s requests. An anthem was performed, and the acting governor outlined further needs. As is my custom, I delivered a speech intended to inspire hope.
We then visited Cheshmeh Golshan. We had lunch and performed our prayers in the garden of a facility belonging to the Mostazafan Foundation—a plant for the processing of agricultural products. Faezeh and the children had also joined us. We were scheduled to travel to Aliabad-e Katul by helicopter, but word arrived that the people of Azadshahr were waiting along our route. We set off by car instead, forgoing our planned rest. The welcome was incredibly enthusiastic. Much like in the city of Kalaleh, we passed through without stopping; it was remarkable that, even though we were not scheduled to visit, the city streets were filled with welcoming placards. We were told that the situation is the same in all the cities of Mazandaran.
The cold weather has completely transformed the atmosphere of the province. At the Ramian junction, we experienced a similar—though less intense—reception from the local people; however, the helicopters landed there. After acknowledging the people's sentiments, we continued our journey by helicopter. We landed in Aliabad, next to a cotton-ginning factory, where a crowd had gathered. The sheer size of the crowd and their fervor far exceeded expectations and were truly striking. For my part, I gave it my all when addressing them. They had a fine anthem, and the Friday Prayer Imam delivered a welcoming address.
We flew toward Gorgan and landed within the compound of the 30th Division. We arrived on schedule. The massive crowd slowed our progress through the streets for a while, but eventually, the way cleared. The welcome was magnificent. Mr. [Seyyed Kazem] Nourmofidi, the Friday Prayer Imam, was moved to tears of joy.
We joined a public gathering in the open grounds of the University of Agricultural Sciences. It was a grand event; people had even climbed into the surrounding trees. The program proceeded in an orderly fashion. There were frequent chants calling for Eastern Mazandaran to become an independent province. Many placards were also on display; I remarked that the matter is currently under review. There is significant opposition, partly due to concerns that such a province would be predominantly Kurdish and Sunni. Meanwhile, the residents of Gonbad are advocating for Gonbad to serve as the provincial center. Originally, the gathering was planned to be held at the *Mosalla* (prayer ground), but I personally requested that the venue be changed. It was a good decision to change it; our previous meeting at the *Mosalla* in Babol had not gone well. Following the performance of an anthem and a welcoming address by the Friday Prayer Imam, I delivered an extensive speech. Regarding the proposal to elevate Gorgan to the status of a province, I stated that the matter is under review and that we will proceed if it is deemed appropriate. They may have been expecting a more definitive response.
From there, we proceeded to an animal feed production plant—established by Mr. Nourmofidi for the Gorgan Seminary—which has a capacity of 100,000 tons. Its notable feature is that it processes straw, enriched with protein, into high-quality livestock feed—comparable to one-fourth the value of barley. We received a briefing and toured the production line. After performing the Maghrib and Isha prayers, we returned to the city.
At the Sadeghiyeh Seminary, we held a meeting with local clergy and regional officials. Mr. Nourmofidi spoke very highly of me and raised several questions concerning policy. I addressed the group at length and answered their questions. Following dinner, we held a private meeting with the provincial council of Friday Prayer Imams, during which they discussed various challenges and the perceived lack of attention from the state toward the Mazandaran region.
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