Iran holds mass weddings in Tehran for couples signed up for war sacrifice scheme

TEHRAN: Iranian authorities organised mass public wedding ceremonies in Tehran for couples who had enrolled in a state-backed programme declaring their willingness to give their lives in the war against the United States and Israel.

The ceremonies were held late Monday in several major squares across the Iranian capital. Iranian media said the events involved hundreds of couples, including more than 100 at Imam Hossein Square in central Tehran. Mehr news agency said 110 couples took part in the Imam Hossein Square ceremony alone.

The events were aired on state television as Iran sought to bolster wartime morale. The broadcasts came amid a fragile ceasefire that halted fighting which began on February 28, while US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened fresh military action against Iran.

State-backed self-sacrifice scheme

Those participating in the weddings had signed up for what Iranian media described as the self-sacrifice scheme, or janfada in Persian. Under the programme, participants pledged to risk their lives in the war effort, including by forming human chains outside power stations.

Iranian authorities say millions of people have registered under the scheme. Those listed include senior figures such as Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and President Masoud Pezeshkian.

AFP images from Imam Hossein Square showed couples arriving in military jeeps fitted with mounted machine guns before being married on a stage by a cleric. The stage was decorated with balloons and featured a giant image of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

One source identified him as Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and said he had not appeared in public since being elevated to the position after the assassination of his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war.

Ceremony tied to religious anniversary

In footage published by Mehr, an unnamed young woman standing beside her groom said:

Certainly, the country is at war, but young people also have the right to marry

Another participant, a man in a dark suit standing next to his bride-to-be, said the couple was pleased the ceremony coincided with the anniversary of the marriage of Hazrat Ali (RA) to Hazrat Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Dawn described Imam Ali as revered by Shias.

He said:

We received their blessings. Furthermore, we came to offer our best wishes to the people in the streets

Images from the event showed crowds of spectators holding roses and watching the proceedings. Since the start of the war, Iranian authorities have staged major pro-government gatherings on an almost daily basis to underscore public mobilisation during the conflict.