Shab-haye Por Setareh in Tabriz: A Renewed Pledge to the Ideals

The enchanting fragrance of soil, mingled with the celestial scent of the martyrs’ memory, swept through the city of Tabriz like a gentle, soul-stirring breeze. Inside the hall, a magnificent, illuminated poster shimmered like a jewel under the soft glow of lights; on it was written a profound sentence: “In the end, we are prepared to continue the path of the revolution until the liberation of Quds.”

The grand and proud title “Shab-haye Por Setareh” was the luminous centerpiece of this ceremony, alongside the epic portrait of Commander Haj Hossein Yekta, who narrated the passionate days of fire and faith. Beneath this honored image, the time and place of the ceremony were elegantly inscribed: “From September 24 to 26, 2025, at the time of the Maghrib prayer, in the Martyrs’ Garden of Vadi-e Rahmat, Tabriz.”

Tonight, here, beside the sacred resting place of the martyrs, a group has gathered to renew a covenant a covenant to be fulfilled not in words or speech, but in the depths of their souls and through sincere action. This gathering is a legacy of the passionate, burning days of the front; a time when twenty-year-old youths, with pure hearts free from worldly desires, devoted themselves to God and the lofty ideals of the Islamic Revolution.

The martyrs, these eternal beacons of the path, departed so that the way would remain illuminated and smooth for others. With the sacrifice of their pure blood, they kept this revolution alive and reminded us all that until the glorious flag of the Islamic Revolution is raised over the holy Quds, the path of jihad continues and efforts will never cease.

To deeply and truly understand the meaning and spirit of the revolution, we must return to the intense moments at the front; where pure-hearted youths, amidst bullet fire, smoke, and fog, gazed at the expanse of existence and in one profound and precise look, saw all of humanity under the shadow of a loving gaze towards the epic Karbala; where the meaning of faith, commitment, sacrifice, and martyrdom was realized.

Tonight, in this luminous gathering, a light of sincerity and love for martyrdom blazes brightly, radiant like the stars of Shab-haye Por Setareh; a light that illuminates our path until the day we witness the liberation of Quds, when the ideals of the martyrs will shine upon the world like a blazing sun.

The voice of the narrator of the fronts of faith

The voice of Haj Hossein Yekta, narrator of the faith fronts, resonated through the spiritual atmosphere of the ceremony. With each word, he breathed new life into the memories of wartime sacrifices. His words flowed like a pure spring from the depths of frontline memories and trenches, penetrating deep into hearts.

Haj Hossein said in a warm and firm voice: “This land is a sacred trust that has been purified by the blood of thousands of martyrs. We have not reached the end of our mission; we are men and women who will continue the path of the revolution to the noble Quds. Faith, jihad, and hope are three flags that we will never lower. The martyrs went so that we would remain and take on the responsibility of continuing the path. Today, Vadi-e Rahmat is not just a flower garden of martyrs, but a base for rising again, for renewing covenants and pledges.”

In the soft night breeze and the glow of dim lights that illuminated the space, the echo of the youth’s chanting “Labbaik Ya Hossein,” mingled with the tears and whispers of the martyrs’ families, had created a unique atmosphere in Vadi-e Rahmat a place where history and faith are interwoven.

Haj Hossein Yekta added with suppressed emotion and a voice full of feeling: “You who have come here today are the true heirs of the martyrs, and you must be as restless for the appearance of Truth as the martyrs were restless for the divine encounter. The Islamic Revolution was not merely a historical event; it is a path, and we are now in the middle of this journey a path whose continuation is possible only through the faith and perseverance of all of us.”

These words, like a light in the heart of darkness, imbued each moment with new meaning a renewal of the covenant that was revitalized during those Shab-haye Por Setareh, between memory and pledge.

But I, that perennial journalist whose presence in the field has become both habit and love, was also present in this gathering; silent, yet all eyes and heart. I cast a calm glance around, and the longing in my soul yearned to sit by Hashem Rezavi’s grave and breathe in the fragrance of faith and jihad from his soil.

Yet, my heart lacked the strength to bear that encounter; as if the weight of longing and sorrow had rooted my feet to the ground. So, I sat quietly a few graves away, waiting for the moment when he himself, with a glance or a breeze of memory, would call me into the shade of his presence…

Quietly and silently, amidst that sea of people and the weary night breeze, I whispered under my breath for Hashem, that man who spread his wings in Panjwin and departed without looking back. I murmured: “Karbala of the battlefronts… may his memory be blessed.”

Panjwin that page of history where the earth was soaked with tears and blood, transformed into an altar of martyrdom; where Hashem and his comrades fearlessly gave their lives so the banner would remain raised upon the heights in the manner of Hossein. And now, beside this cold stone, a stream of memories from that “Karbala of the battlefronts” flows through my mind to this very day a stream in which every drop tells a story of courage and faith.

Vadi-e Rahmat Tabriz; The headquarters of love

This Garden of Martyrs in Vadi-e Rahmat is more than a place of soil and stone; it is the command center of love and a station for renewing bonds of devotion. Here, one breathes anew and remembers their purpose an enduring memorial and lesson from the sacrifices that have imbued this land with color.

Every time we set foot in Vadi-e Rahmat, we must make a new and resolute decision a decision that can only be realized by continuing the path of the martyrs and bearing the banner of their ideals. Here, “Vadi-e Rahmat Tabriz” teaches us the true meaning of a “spiritual and ideological headquarters.”

In the words of Haj Hossein Yekta, this image was painted: “This garden of martyrs is not just soil and stone; it is the command center of love. Here, one breathes anew and remembers why we came… Every time we come, we must make a new decision a decision to continue the path of the martyrs.”

The sky of Tabriz that night carried the fragrance of pure covenants, harmonizing with the chant of “Labbaik Ya Hossein” that, amidst the crowd and raised flags, bestowed both tranquility and fervor upon the martyrs’ garden.

Tonight, the warm voice of Haj Hossein Yekta rose like an awakening bell from the heart of this garden of martyrs, calling all hearts to remember a covenant made years ago a steadfast covenant that will endure until the liberation of Quds. This garden served as a turning point for revisiting that luminous path, a journey that will only reach its destination through persistent determination and faith.

Addressing today’s generation; the restless heirs of yesterday

You, the youth, are the true heirs of that passionate restlessness that the warriors of yesterday carried in their hearts for the divine encounter. Addressing the young crowd with a penetrating and emotional gaze, Haj Hossein Yekta said: “You must possess the same inner fervor and passion that propelled the fighters of yesterday into the arena of jihad, the same restlessness to reach the divine encounter, the same burning thirst to preserve values and ideals.”

Today, our struggle has taken on a different form; the enemy no longer confronts us only on physical and geographical battlegrounds. Rather, it has come to conquer minds, alter our cultural identity, and target our firm beliefs. This soft war, though more hidden and complex, is just as serious and decisive “a battle being waged over the conquest of hearts and minds.”

The present generation must learn to withstand pressures and hardships, to be unyielding, and like the Ashura generation of the Sacred Defense, never lose hope and faith. Steadfast faith and enduring hope are our primary lines of defense in this new arena without them, remaining steadfast and moving forward is impossible.

These words carried a clear message to all the young people present: “You, the youth, are the true heirs of the same restlessness and spiritual fervor that the brave youth of yesterday demonstrated in pursuit of sacred ideals.” Safeguarding this mindset means preserving our roots and resisting any conspiracy that seeks to challenge our identity.

From Tabriz to Quds

“Shab-haye Por Setareh” in Vadi-e Rahmat, Tabriz, was more than just a spiritual commemoration; it was a profound and renewed covenant a pledge made by today’s generation with clear hearts and firm determination to the martyrs, to remain steadfast and unwavering on the illustrious path of the ideals of the Islamic Revolution and the liberation of noble Quds, until the last breath. In beloved Tabriz, a city that has always been a cradle of courage and leadership at historical turning points, this resolute covenant was renewed once again:

“To Quds, alongside the martyrs and in honor of their path.”

The covenant to Quds is a pledge whose origins trace back to the nights of frontline operations nights when, in the final moments before martyrdom, a sacred bond was forged between humans and their Beloved; a covenant that remains as gripping and alive as ever.

We are never at the end of our mission, and despite hardships and the passage of time, the Islamic Revolution moves toward Quds like a roaring river a path whose banner is upheld by the sacred blood of martyrs, and we will not rest until we reach the final destination.

With unwavering certainty and firm faith, we will continue on this path, for it is our destiny and a covenant that will shape not only the past but also the future.

A path without end / The end; Another “Labbaik”

The conclusion of the speech in Vadi-e Rahmat, Tabriz, filled the ceremony’s atmosphere with passion and a renewed covenant; where once again everyone shouted in unison: “We are here, we remain, and we will march to Quds.” With resolute hearts, they called upon the martyrs to bear witness witness to this unbreakable covenant they have always upheld.

Yekta did not hide his emotion and added with a voice full of feeling: “We are not at the end of our mission. This revolution is a roaring river moving toward noble Quds. This covenant is the same pledge that was made between us and God during the nights of operations, moments before martyrdom.”

And finally, he delivered the conclusion of his speech with a slogan that breathed new life into the gathering, reaching the depths of their hearts: “Tonight, in Vadi-e Rahmat, we declare once more: We are here, we remain, and we will march to Quds… May the martyrs bear witness that we have not broken our covenant.”

These moments were not just the end of a ceremony, but the beginning of a new covenant in the hearts of the young generation a covenant that, in the memory and name of the martyrs, will endure until the liberation of Quds.

Now we recount the narrative that resonated on the first night of the “Labbaik Once Again” operation by Haj Hossein Yekta during the Starry Nights of Vadi-e Rahmat in Tabriz, reviving a new and steadfast covenant in the hearts of the youth and all present a tale of faith, perseverance, and relentless yearning to continue the path of the beloved martyrs until the liberation of Quds.

From the Blue Mosque and its turquoise tiles; from every movement and action it inspired. Sometimes it was a mosque, sometimes a command post, sometimes a trench of resistance. We must speak of every corner of Tabriz, for each one tells the oral history of a country, a nation, and a movement. We must speak of the Constitutional Houses; homes that have narrated every moment of significant events for us.

Tonight we must ask: What should we speak of in East Azerbaijan and Tabriz? We must speak of the scholars, of the martyrs, and honor the eloquent and the mystics. If we wish to narrate Tabriz, we must speak of the art and spiritual vision of its artists, of their honor, their determination, their warrior spirit, and their fighting ethos.

We must speak of Nizami Ganjavi, of Khaqani, of Shams Tabrizi, of Saeb Tabrizi, of Parvin E’tesami, and of Ostad Shahriar; Ostad Shahriar, who was truly a great treasure. In 1981, when he heard the sermons of His Eminence’s Friday prayers, he said: “How remarkable are his ethical sermons—did you see his devotion to guardianship?” When he met His Eminence, he placed his hands on his own chest and said: “Dear father, you are our Abolfazl.”

Shahriar dedicated his entire life and poetry to Islam through his verses, his warm spirit, and his passionate, youthful devotion to guardianship and revolution. His poems about the Imam and the revolution cannot be contained in a single complete divan.

We must speak of the Constitutional Revolution; of freedom-seekers like Sattar Khan and Baqer Khan. His Eminence stated: Sattar Khan carried the decree of the Najaf scholars in his pocket and did not enter the arena recklessly; whoever had their scholar, Ayatollah, or elder did not stray. During the siege, amid hunger and exhaustion, when aid arrived, Sattar Khan saw a child picking up soil and eating it. The child’s mother told Sattar Khan: “We eat soil, but we do not sell it.” These honorable individuals, the lion-hearted women and nation-building men of Iran, raised generations of men whose like is rare in history.

We must commemorate Saghaf-ol-Eslam Tabrizi, who openly stood against Reza Shah on the day of Ashura; remember Agha Mashhad Tabrizi, a refined personality who was a refuge for the people and a reference for solving problems; recall the Mohammad Khiabani Mosque, which single-handedly stood against Reza Shah in Tabriz during the time when military and financial authority of the country was being handed over to Britain; and honor the late Nakhaei, who said: “Even if my house is destroyed, destroyed repeatedly, I will not relent until I sever Reza Khan’s foothold from this country.”

We must speak of lion-hearted women like Fatemeh Khanum Tahrooi, who stood her ground in the village and declared, “We will not remove our hijab,” or the lady from Kahmanou, an 18-year-old pregnant girl who was severely beaten by Reza Shah’s regime agents and martyred.

Let us remember Martyr Abolfathi, who on the night of the operation told his comrade: “When you return to Tabriz, tell the women and girls not to look with difficulty until someone has reached union with you, they should not see you.” He and his companion were martyred, sacrificing their lives for love and faith.

And we must speak of that heroic corporal, Malek Mohammadi, who stood with his two soldiers against the advancing Russian troops. He resisted for two days until he was martyred; the Russian general came to his body and placed his own medal upon the chest of that defender.

This is Tabriz, this is Azerbaijan; a place where its scholars and people stood against Reza Shah, gave their homes, saw their houses destroyed, but declared: “This is the land of Imam Reza, not Reza Khan.” Here is the center of brave unity and honor; here, it has always striven to stand for its faith and dignity, like Mohammad Ghandloo, who was the lion of Azerbaijan’s honor.

His Eminence says that during the Sacred Defense, great efforts were made for the youth. The initial air missions were carried out by the Air Force; young men who were like orphaned sons of the army collaborated with the Fourth Support Zone of the Army and mobilized for the youth of the Construction Organization. Everyone did what they could to stop the enemy. Efforts were made for the youth of Azerbaijan, and memorials for the Ashura Brigades were established.

Tonight we are in Tabriz. Certainly, a Sacred Defense week must be held in Urmia, West Azerbaijan. We must definitely take Sacred Defense week to Zanjan, and even to Erbil; tonight we are in Tabriz, and then we will go with the Ashura Corps and the martyrs of North Azerbaijan, and in the coming years we will build and continue with West Azerbaijan. This Ashura Corps, who purified themselves for the sake of God’s uprising and gave ten thousand martyrs, stood with all the system’s resources to defend security and well being.

جوانان عزیز! خونی در برابر خون، صدق در برابر ظالم؛ این‌گونه ما سرپا ایستادیم. امروز شهدای زیادی در این مسیر داریم، از جمله طلبه‌هایی که شهید شدند؛ طلبه‌هایی که شب عملیات عمامه‌شان طناب معبر شد تا عملیات انجام شود.

Today we are in the presence of Martyr Mr. Al-Hashemi; someone who stood by people’s sorrows and stories, was a supporter of the Tractor team, and shared in the joy of students during their uprising. He was always in the service of the people. In moments of fear and calamity, he stood alongside the Master of Martyrs, served Haj Agha Raisi and the Hussaini gathering, and a burning cry emerged from him that became everyone’s hope.

امشب هم شهدایی مانند آل‌هاشمی ما را دعوت کردند تا صحبت کنیم و هدیه بگیرند. او امام جمعه نبود او امام همه ی روزهای هفته بود، امام همه ی حرف ‌های مردم بود؛ همراه غم، همراه شادی، همراه هر قصه ی مردمی.

شهید علی حسینی، آن طلبه ی باسخا، می‌گفت که در عالم رؤیا امام رضا را دید و امام گفت: ما در جبهه‌ها هستیم. این کشور، کشور امام رضاست، کشور سلطان علی بن موسی الرضاست.

Martyr Taghavi, commander of the Army Air Force, a brave and heroic soldier, entered Iran after the revolution, wept, and said he loved this country; even during the Shah’s time, he said that if Imam Khomeini willed it, he would crash his plane into the Shah’s palace.

Martyrs Khodaei, Morshedri, and others used to recite the Quran; they were people of the Quran. Martyr Taghavi Tabrizi’s life was filled with love for Iran, love for bravery, and love for the Quran. He considered the Quran the path of guidance and said that our beginning and judgment should be based on the thought and name of the Quran.

We must speak of brave commanders like Mohammad Bakri; a commander who ruled over hearts, not just the troops; he strengthened their hearts with faith and the Quran.

Mehdi Bakri, the martyred pride of Azerbaijan, who in Urmia helped an elderly woman without revealing that he was Bakri himself. He helped for the sake of God, was drawn to people for God’s sake, and planted the path of faith in hearts.

Bakri says: Children, youths, girls, boys; the garment of martyrdom is one size. When it fits, the garment of martyrdom is worn. Know that martyrdom is not granted to everyone, it is not for everyone; it belongs to the pure and sincere who are on the path of faith.

When the point of severance was reached; the commanders and platoons were martyred. During Operation Badr on the Dajlah, when there were no more bullets, shrapnel, or tanks, he sat by a trench in Karbala. His voice was recorded; addressing Martyr Ahmad Kazemi, he said: “There is something here, if you see it, you won’t leave this place. This is paradise, the angels have come.”

The youths of the Ashura Corps would say: “This is paradise.” What did they endure and what did they understand that they perceived paradise in this way? They were together, they shared companionship. Tonight, the martyrs have come to offer friendship; they have come to be divine companions, heavenly friends, companions of the realm above.

During the bombardment, Yousef Mohseni was martyred, and his comrade was also martyred in the same place. The villagers said: “Forty years ago, two friends from our village went to serve in the army together, were martyred together, and were buried together; this story has repeated itself.”

Martyrdom and reciting the remembrance of Hossein is paradise; the remembrance should be Hossein not only on land, but even underwater.

They used to say: The youths have weapons, but their faith is greater. They stood firm with the weapon of their faith, planting flowers for the enemy. Our country is the land of religion and knowledge; we remember Martyr Shafiei, the commander who delivered the missiles to Basra; we remember Martyr Tehrani Moghaddam, who laid the foundation for missile technology; we remember Martyr Poursharifi, the designer of the 14-kilometer Khobar Bridge.

One of the martyrs wrote in a letter: “When I dive in the Karun River, I feel Hazrat Abolfazl holding my hands; we are practicing martyrdom, not diving.”

The battlefield was a university; the youth transformed schools and universities into battlefronts.

We remember the mother of a martyr who had 18 children; not sons, not daughters; four martyrs her husband, brother, and children. We remember the mother of Martyr Rasoul-Allahi, who herself arranged for her son’s dispatch and stood by his grave for 20 years. We remember the mother of Martyr Heydaran, who walked 10 kilometers to see if her son had joined the IRGC or not.

In this 12-day war, children were martyred; one of them was Tahā. These mothers possess boundless love, and their voices reach from the earth to the heavens.

Wait, whenever truth prevails and falsehood is destroyed, their lineage and era will be annihilated.

These roots are deeply embedded in the earth roots that cannot be uprooted by the wind.

Let us be patient.

Remember Martyr Hossein Fahmideh, who told the commanders: “Paradise is for worship, but there is one sorrow for martyrdom.”

We are prepared for martyrdom.

Martyr Ali Tajallaei said: “I want to keep this torn and bullet-riddled uniform.”

Remember Martyr Rahim Khodaei, who said: “I wish to be like Ali Akbar.”

Let us remember Martyr Hamed Javani, defender of the shrine of Hazrat Zainab (peace be upon her), a man whose soul joined the light and who became known in hearts as Martyr Nouri Barki. He was the one who, when asked “Why are you going?”, walked with calm and firmness, and with his gaze, washed away perspectives and illuminated hearts.

When we reached the end of the gathering, he said: “Healing comes at the end of the session.”

The Imam said: “The shrine and pure soil of the martyrs are medicine and healing for the lovers, the mystics, and the seekers of truth; a remedy that both heals and soothes the soul, for its truth impacts the inner being of humans.”

Tonight is the night of healing; tonight, the hopeless patient is cured, restless hearts are comforted, and the pages of responsibility are placed, one by one, into the hands of the eager.

Tonight, we remember the decisive actions of the martyrs of Karbala 4, the Ibrahims martyred in Operation Fath 8, and the silent graves submerged in the floods of Karbala 5 those who were struck by bullets, drank water, and were effective on the battlefield, yet ultimately captured every heart.

Insyaallah, by the virtue of their pure blood, the right of their lofty spirits, and the blessing of a serene reunion with them, may the beauty of the Divine, pure serenity, and a martyrdom filled with grace be bestowed upon all of us.