Iran stages mass weddings for couples ready for war “sacrifice”

Iranian authorities organized mass wedding ceremonies in Tehran for couples who had registered for a state-sponsored program under which they pledged their willingness to sacrifice their lives in the war their country is fighting against ‘Israel’ and the United States.

Media reports said the celebrations, held late Monday, included hundreds of couples and took place in several major squares across the capital, including 100 couples gathered at Imam Hussein Square in central Tehran.

The ceremonies were broadcast on state television in an apparent effort to boost public morale during wartime, particularly as US President Donald Trump has threatened to resume attacks on Iran amid a fragile ceasefire that took effect on April 8.

Iranian media reported that participants had joined what is known as the “self-sacrifice initiative,” under which they pledged to give their lives during the war by forming human chains outside power stations.

Authorities said millions of people, including prominent figures such as Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and President Masoud Pezeshkian, had also joined the initiative.

The couples arrived at Imam Hussein Square in military jeeps equipped with machine guns, where their marriage vows were officiated on a stage during a ceremony led by a cleric.

The stage was decorated with balloons and a giant portrait of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since assuming office following the death of his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, on the first day of the US-‘Israeli’ attack on the Islamic Republic on February 28, which triggered the outbreak of war in the Middle East.

In footage aired by the Mehr News Agency, a young woman wearing a white wedding dress said while standing beside her groom: “The country is certainly at war, but young people also have the right to get married.”

A young man standing beside his bride in a dark suit said he was pleased the occasion coincided with the anniversary of Imam Ali’s marriage to Fatimah, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad.

“We have received their blessings. Moreover, we came to offer our best wishes to people in the streets,” he said.

Mehr reported that 110 couples took part in the Imam Hussein Square ceremony alone. Images showed crowds of well-wishers carrying flowers and watching the event.

Since the outbreak of the war, Iranian authorities have regularly organized large pro-government gatherings on an almost daily basis in an effort to demonstrate popular mobilization amid the conflict.