Martyrdom and the Iranian State View(s):By Dr Ruben ThurairajahIran is a country where the dead have a career longer than the living. From this came the idea of martyrdom (shahadat)—not suicide, not recklessness, but the bearing of witness through suffering when truth and survival diverge. From mourning to mobilisationFor centuries, this ethic shaped Shiite piety more than Shiite power. The Iranian state has so far managed this tension by narrowing its audience. The current cycle of conflict and elite martyrdom will likely reinforce this system in the short term.

Source: Sunday Times March 07, 2026 19:16 UTC