SAEDNEWS: Newly surfaced photographs reveal Ayatollah Ali Khamenei donning his Revolutionary Guards uniform to perform chest‑beating rituals for Imam Hussein on the southern war front in August 1988.
According to Saed News, in Mordad 1367 (August 1988), then‑President Ali Khamenei—now Iran’s Supreme Leader—made a rare visit to the South Front and the Martyr Bakri Camp during the closing months of the Iran‑Iraq War. Clad in the sacred uniform of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), he joined frontline troops in traditional sineh‑zani (chest‑beating) ceremonies commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (ع).
The striking black‑and‑white images capture Khamenei standing amid trenches and sandbags, his visage solemn as he leads a rhythmic procession of mourners echoing the centuries‑old lament rituals of Karbala. Military officers and young conscripts alike press their palms to their chests, eyes cast downward, as the Supreme Leader chants verses from the marsiyeh—elegiac poetry recounting the seventh‑century tragedy that defines Shiite identity.
Analysts say these photographs underscore the fusion of religious devotion and martial resolve that underpinned Iran’s war effort. By personally conducting the ritual at a front‑line encampment, Khamenei reinforced both spiritual morale and ideological solidarity. “This was more than a spiritual gesture,” notes Dr. Leila Farzin, a historian of modern Iran. “It sent a powerful message that the defense of the revolution was inseparable from the commemoration of Imam Hussein’s sacrifice.”
Released now by state archives, the images arrive as Iran prepares for the annual Muharram commemorations. For many veterans, they evoke a poignant reminder of wartime fortitude and the enduring role of religious observance in shaping Iran’s contemporary political ethos.
