In a powerful display of defiance, Iranians have begun observing the traditional 40-day mourning period for those who lost their lives during the government’s violent crackdown on recent nationwide protests. These ceremonies are marked by patriotic anthems and chants directly challenging the country’s clerical leadership.
Despite these gatherings, authorities have swiftly acted to suppress any public demonstrations or anti-government expressions. Reports indicate that security forces have been actively patrolling cities, attempting to curb any shows of dissent.
This Tuesday marks the start of several days of solemn yet defiant memorial events across Iran, honoring the thousands of protesters killed between January 8 and 10. These commemorations will serve as a crucial test: assessing both the effectiveness of the government’s suppressive measures and the resilience of its opponents in finding new avenues for resistance.
Historically, such 40-day ceremonies have been pivotal in Iran’s modern era, notably serving as rallying points for the protests that ultimately led to the overthrow of the Shah in 1979.
While this week may not trigger an immediate dramatic shift, dissenting voices are already seizing the opportunity to express their profound anger. Some families are boldly transforming what were once somber religious funeral rites into lively, celebratory events, directly rejecting the country’s austere leadership.
Video footage from Mashhad shows scenes from a memorial, reflecting the shifting mood.
“This has been reinvented with a revolutionary rage,” commented Arash Azizi, a New York-based historian specializing in Iran. He described it as a determined effort by Iranians to reclaim their nation and rekindle their national identity.
In the weeks leading up to these memorials, human rights organizations and relatives of deceased protesters have reported intense intimidation tactics by security forces, aimed at preventing public gatherings.
On Tuesday, reports confirmed security forces were actively patrolling towns like Lesfijan in northern Iran, with videos showing military trucks filled with helmeted, camouflaged troops.
The 40-day commemoration of the deceased is a deeply ingrained custom in Iranian culture, marking a significant farewell ritual before life resumes its routine. While prevalent among Shiite Muslims in the region, these ceremonies also have ancient pre-Islamic roots and are observed by Iranians of all religious backgrounds.
Recognizing their profound cultural significance, authorities this week have been eager to manage these memorials. The government even announced its own official mourning ceremonies in Tehran and Mashhad, seeking to steer public sentiment.
“We grieve for the blood that was shed,” stated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a recent speech. He declared security forces killed during the unrest as “the highest-ranking martyrs,” also extending this status to ‘misled’ bystanders and protesters. However, he starkly differentiated other casualties, labeling them as ‘corrupters, seditionists, and coup plotters’ whose ‘reckoning is with God,’ absolving the state of responsibility.
The government maintains that the protests were fueled by ‘terrorists’ supported by external forces, specifically Israel and the United States, resulting in over 3,000 fatalities.
In contrast, human rights organizations assert that these figures are a significant underestimation. They highlight January 8-10 as some of the bloodiest days in Iran’s recent past, with the US-based group HRANA reporting over 7,000 protester deaths across three weeks of unrest, predominantly during that critical three-day span.
Among the victims was Robina Aminian, a 23-year-old fashion student, reportedly shot in the head during protests in Tehran. Her family was barred from holding public 40-day memorials, as confirmed by her aunt, Hali Nouri, residing in Europe.
For over a month, plainclothes police maintained a constant presence at both ends of the alleyway leading to the Aminian family’s home, according to Ms. Nouri.
Visiting Ms. Aminian’s grave presents a significant challenge for her family.
In a troubling pattern, security forces have often compelled families to bury dissidents in isolated locations, aiming to prevent these sites from becoming rallying points for further unrest. Ms. Aminian’s family, for instance, was forced to inter her in a remote, snowy village in western Iran.
“My sister insists, ‘Even if they shoot, I will go for her 40th day,’” Ms. Nouri conveyed, underscoring the family’s determination.
Despite the continuing crackdown, signs of growing dissent are emerging across Iran.
Student social media channels report repeated attempts by university students to organize sit-ins at various campuses.
Furthermore, videos from several cities show individuals taking to rooftops under the cloak of night, chanting for the overthrow of the supreme leader.
A localized protest erupted Monday night in the southwestern town of Abdanan. A confirmed video captures people chanting “death to Khamenei,” accompanied by the supportive honking of passing cars.
Another video depicting events in Mashhad or Abdanan, showing the public mood.
Separate footage, seemingly from Tuesday morning, reveals security forces deploying armored vehicles in the town. Additionally, a video from Abdanan depicts large crowds fleeing in panic amidst smoke and detonations near a local cemetery.
However, these new acts of defiance do not necessarily indicate a surge towards another wave of nationwide protests, according to Farzan Sabet, an analyst of Iran and Middle East politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute.
“Everyone seems to be anticipating the next major development,” Sabet noted, “specifically, whether a US military strike will occur.”
Iran’s severe crackdown is also influenced by external threats. Amid fragile US-Iran discussions concerning Iran’s nuclear and military programs, President Trump has amassed warships in the Persian Gulf, a clear show of force. A short round of these critical talks took place in Geneva this Tuesday.
Nevertheless, the specter of another regional conflict remains a serious concern.
“Most people are waiting for President Trump’s pledges to materialize and for external assistance,” shared Masoud, an accountant from Mashhad, who spoke anonymously due to safety concerns. “The people have exhausted all their options.”
Despite stringent restrictions, some Iranians are steadfast in their resolve to hold these 40-day commemorations.
For instance, the family of Mohammad Mahdi Ganj Danesh, a 17-year-old protester who was killed, reportedly signed agreements promising not to use political slogans at his memorial, as per a family friend.
Yet, even with these concessions, authorities denied them permission to use their local mosque in Zanjan. Consequently, like many other affected families, they opted to rent a private event hall for the ceremony.
Footage from the memorial, independently verified, shows significant crowds gathered, celebrating his life while simultaneously protesting the government.
“The fallen flower has become a gift to the homeland,” they chanted rhythmically, accompanied by clapping, transforming grief into a collective statement.
Video capturing the vibrant, defiant atmosphere of a memorial gathering in Zanjan, defying traditional somber customs.
Far from tearful mourning rituals, many families of slain protesters are choosing to commemorate their loved ones with dancing, singing, and clapping directly at gravesites. This transformation is a powerful rejection of traditionally somber religious customs, which many Iranians now link to the strict, unyielding rule of the Islamic Republic.
For example, a confirmed video of the 40-day ceremony for Raha Bahlooli-Pour, a University of Tehran student, shows attendees playing lively folk tunes rather than the usual Quranic recitations. Women in the video are seen performing the traditional ‘kel,’ a high-pitched ululation typically associated with weddings, further emphasizing the shift from sorrow to defiant celebration.
This reimagining of mourning rituals is not entirely new to Iranian culture, historian Arash Azizi noted, dating back at least to the 1979 Islamic Revolution. During that period, Islamic revolutionaries similarly transformed 40-day ceremonies from quiet, reflective gatherings into impactful ‘rabble-rousing occasions.’
Following an anti-government uprising in 2022 that demanded greater personal freedoms curtailed by the Islamic Republic’s strict governance, protesters had already begun to alter religious funeral traditions.
Today, protesters are continuing this trend, actively transforming mourning into acts of celebratory resistance.
“Their sadness is an act of defiance,” Mr. Azizi concluded. “They are conveying that the struggle is far from over, that they have not surrendered, and that they will confront the regime once more.”
Sanam Mahoozi also contributed to this report.