Qalibaf called for continued investment in Iran’s defense sector and urged Parliament to accelerate the approval of bills that would secure the economic rights of families of martyrs, including pensions, housing, and scholarships for their children.
Voices from the Ground: Families of the Martyrs
A powerful segment of the evening featured short speeches from family members of some of the most recently martyred. Zahra Hajizadeh, daughter of the late General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, gave a short but powerful tribute:
“My father didn’t die because he hated anyone. He died because he loved this land, this people, and his Commander. I am proud to be his daughter.”
Similarly, the widow of Mohammad Hossein Afshardi expressed gratitude for the national support she had received since her husband’s death:
“His blood was not shed in silence. The entire nation cried with me, and now I know he lives in every heartbeat of Iran.”