Iranian authorities organised mass public weddings in Tehran on Monday for couples who signed up for a state-sponsored scheme, consenting to sacrifice their lives in the ongoing war against the United States and Israel. The state media broadcasted the ceremony in an effort to boost wartime morale amid U.S President Donald Trump’s repeated threats of military action against the Islamic Republic.
According to Iranian media, the scheme, called “janfada” in Persion, involves people declaring their readiness to put their lives on the line in the war, such as forming human chains outside power stations. Iranian authorities said that the signatories included millions of people, including top leaders such as Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and President Masoud Pezeshkian.
AFP images showed couples arriving at the Imam Hossein square in military jeeps, which were equipped with machine guns. The participants got married on a stage in a ceremony led by a cleric.
The stage was decorated with balloons and a large image of the new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. Khamenei is yet to make a public appearance after succeeding his father, who was assassinated by the U.S-Israeli strikes in February 28.
A bride told Mehr news agency, “Certainly, the country is at war, but young people also have the right to marry.”
The occasion also marked the anniversary of the marriage of revered Shia Islamic figure Imam Ali, to Fatima, who was the daughter of Prophet Mohammed.
“We received their blessings. Furthermore, we came to offer our best wishes to the people in the streets,” said one of the grooms, sitting beside his bride-to-be.
According to Mehr, around 110 couples took part in the ceremony at Imam Hossein square.
Iranian authorities have been taking steps to rally support for the ongoing war, conducting major pro-government gatherings on an almost daily basis.
