Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a Wednesday meeting with a number of Iranian elites in the capital, Tehran.
International scientific centers which determine indicators for scientific progress bear testimony to Iran's development, said the Leader.
"Folks on official and unofficial forums deny [Iran's progress] and regard it as illusion," Ayatollah Khamenei noted.
He said disappointing the youth regarding the present and future will be a betrayal of national honor.