Iran Organizes Mass Public Weddings for Couples Pledging to Sacrifice Lives in War

Kathmandu. Iranian officials have organized mass public weddings in Tehran for couples who have signed state-sponsored plans, declaring their readiness to sacrifice their lives in the war against America and Israel.

Hundreds of couples participated in ceremonies held in many major squares of the capital on Monday night, with a large ceremony attended by more than 100 couples held at Imam Hussein Square in central Tehran.

The ceremonies were broadcast on state television in an effort to boost wartime morale, with US President Donald Trump threatening new military action against Iran amid a ceasefire that began on February 28.

According to Iranian media, those involved had signed for the so-called 'voluntary-sacrifice (janfada)' plan and had pledged to dedicate their lives for the country in war by forming human chains outside power stations.

According to Iranian officials, millions of people, including top figures such as Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and President Masoud Pezeshkian, have already put their names forward for the war.

At Imam Hussein Square, couples arrived in military jeeps with machine guns and were married on stage in a ceremony presided over by a cleric.

The stage was filled with balloons and a large picture of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since the assassination of his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war.

"Certainly, the country is at war, but the youth also have the right to get married," a young woman in a white Islamic bridal dress, who did not give her name, was shown in footage published by Mehr News Agency.

A man in a dark suit next to his bride said, "They are happy on the occasion of the anniversary of the marriage of Imam Ali, whom the Shia Muslims respect."

"We received their blessings. Besides, we have come to wish people on the street," he said. According to Mehr, 110 couples participated in the Imam Hussein Square ceremony alone. Photos from AFP show crowds of well-wishers watching, holding roses.

Since the start of the war, Iranian officials have been holding major pro-government gatherings daily to highlight popular mobilization amidst the conflict.