Message on the Occasion of the Funeral of One Thousand Martyrs of the Imposed War

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

I have been informed that today over a thousand martyrs of the blood-soaked imposed war are being laid to rest. The pure and blessed bodies of these Mojahedin in the path of God, after several years since their martyrdom, once again fill the atmosphere of Tehran with the soul-refreshing breath of divine angels and are imbued with heavenly fragrance, reviving and highlighting the cherished memory of their unforgettable bravery and sacrifices.

God's peace be upon these dear ones and upon all the martyrs of this land, who broke through the imposed barriers of materialism and selfishness and opened a path to the exalted realm of humanity for mankind.

God's peace be upon these devoted ones who, in the days of the estrangement of virtues and Islamic values, rose to support God's religion and defend the Islamic Revolution, and who gave their lives in solitude.

God's peace and the peace of His angels and righteous servants be upon these pure and luminous bodies who sacrificed themselves to protect their country and nation from the harm of aggressors.

Our peace be upon these pieces of the nation's heart who detached themselves from life and comfort to ensure the peace of the nation and Imam. They welcomed death so that Islam might live. They voluntarily fell to the ground so that Iran might rise.

May God's blessings and the blessings of His saints and the blessings of the entire Iranian nation be upon them.

I extend my congratulations and condolences to the bereaved and expectant families of these martyrs, and I hope that by the blessing of these pure bodies - whose first night of peace in their eternal resting place coincides with the Night of Power - the Nights of Power may be blessed for those families, survivors, and the entire Iranian nation, and that the answered prayers of His Holiness, the Remaining Proof of God, may support the Iranian nation on these nights.

By the grace of God and His mercy.

Seyyed Ali Khamenei

21/12/71