SAEDNEWS: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei thanked pilgrims from Bushehr for braving a two‑day trek to the Imam Khomeini Hosseiniyeh, noting that their steadfast devotion “perfumed” the shrine with the fragrance of loyal hearts.
According to Saed News, the courtyard of the Imam Khomeini Hosseiniyeh erupted in fervor on a cold summer morning, as thousands of pilgrims from Bushehr pressed toward the shrine’s security gates, eager to attend the Supreme Leader’s Muharram gathering. Arriving after a relentless 48‑hour journey—during which many slept on cardboard under the open sky—some without entry permits found themselves detained behind the second iron barrier, pleading in the scorching sun: “We’ve walked so far—surely we must be admitted!” and “Sir, please give us a card so we can see the Leader!”
Uniformed officers and Tehran traffic police cordoned off nearby streets, while ambulances and Red Crescent vehicles from the Bushehr caravan clustered at the end of Palestine Avenue. By 07:30, the first checkpoint had no gaps for a pin to fall. Pilgrims of dark southern complexions jostled, shouting “Don’t push!” even as they clutched their permits. One man urged the crowd to chant “Salawat” from the back of the line; emboldened, they surged forward on a collective “Ya Ali.”
Inside, the old blue carpets lay unchanged, and repeated inspections awaited entrants. Then the chanting began: “Alamdar-e velayat, Bushehri‑ha fadayat” (“Standard‑bearer of authority, Bushehris offer you their lives”), interspersed with the familiar cries of “Hussein, Hussein, our slogan” and drawn‑out salawats unique to the southern pilgrims.
The programme opened with a Tavasih ensemble from Chark village—where every family traces its lineage to the Prophet—only to be interrupted by a sudden crash as the videographer’s camera toppled from scaffolding, sending metal poles clattering. Shouts and dust filled the hall, but the singers persisted, their voices wavering only briefly.
When Ayatollah Khamenei entered, the crowd surged again, breaking through the front barrier. Protective agents struggled to hold them back, yet devout pilgrims pressed on. A tearful cleric from Bushehr finally reached the front row, his face alight with joy. One young man brandished a banner proclaiming “We came out of love for our Leader,” signed with the name of his neighbourhood.
Before speaking, the Friday Imam of Bushehr recounted his city’s 2,075 martyrs, including local hero Rais Ali Delvari—hailed by the Leader as a valiant defender against the British. Then, amid renewed chants and chest‑beating, the Leader’s eyes glistened with emotion.
In his address, marking the birth anniversary of Imam Ali, Ayatollah Khamenei extended heartfelt thanks: “You have journeyed so far and perfumed our Hosseiniyeh with the fragrance of your loyal hearts. Convey my greetings to the Bushehris.” The crowd’s faces shone as if healed of fatigue.
He lauded Delvari’s bravery—“Now we have thousands like him”—and again saluted the pilgrims before concluding his succinct remarks. As he departed, removing his scarf to hand to an aide, the hall erupted once more. Those left outside the gates shouted alongside those inside, including a young man raising his plastered arm bearing the slogan “Labbaik Ya Khamenei,” hoping to catch a final glimpse of the Leader’s passing.
