In first Ashura since Leader's assassination, Iran vows never to forget or forgive

President Masoud Pezeshkian said Ashura embodies Imam Hussein's (AS) enduring call to resist oppression, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi paid tribute to the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, describing him as the "Master of Martyrs of the Islamic Revolution of Iran."

Millions of mourners across Iran marked Ashura on Thursday. Ashura, the 10th day of the lunar month of Muharram, commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Shia Imam and grandson of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), whose sacrifice in the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD has become an enduring symbol of the struggle for justice against tyranny.

Speaking on the sidelines of Ashura noon prayers at Imam Hussein Mosque in Sahand, East Azarbaijan Province, Pezeshkian said the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) and the pure blood of the martyrs of Karbala "set in motion a course of history that awakens dormant minds day by day and calls the oppressed to stand against oppression."

The president said mourning Imam Hussein (AS) must be reflected in action, saying it is inconsistent to shed tears for the Imam while remaining indifferent to injustice, poverty and hunger in society.

"The path of Imam Hussein is the path of dignity, honor and the fight against oppression and injustice, and this must be demonstrated in practice; words and slogans alone are not enough," he said.

Pezeshkian described Imam Hussein's path as a guiding light for all those seeking dignity, freedom and honor, saying followers of the Imam are selfless people who pursue truth and embody knowledge, creativity, capability and devotion.

The president said a country inspired by Imam Hussein (AS) should be one of dignity and honor where "no Iranian and no follower of Imam Hussein's path suffers from poverty, hunger or injustice."

‘Master of Martyrs’

In a post on X, Araghchi said Shia Muslims revere Imam Hussein (AS) as the "Master of Martyrs" because he sacrificed everything on the plains of Karbala.

"Likewise, we will never forget nor forgive the martyrdom of Grand Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei as the Master of Martyrs of the Islamic Revolution of Iran," he wrote.

This year's Ashura carries added significance in Iran as it is the first Muharram since the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei, who was assassinated during an unprovoked US-Israeli war of aggression that began on February 28.

Across Iran, cities and villages were filled with mourning processions as millions of devotees dressed in black took part in traditional Ashura rituals, including rhythmic chest-beating, elegies and the distribution of votive food, or nazri, to mourners and the needy.

The ceremonies, which culminate on Ashura after the first ten days of Muharram, commemorate Imam Hussein (AS) and his 72 loyal companions, who were martyred in Karbala after standing against the forces of the Umayyad caliph Yazid I.

For Shia Muslims, the annual observances symbolizes the timeless confrontation between truth and falsehood and humanity's enduring struggle against oppression—the cause for which Imam Hussein (AS) made the ultimate sacrifice.

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