TEHRAN- Massive and impressive funeral processions were held for almost 400 unknown martyrs of the Sacred Defense across the country on Tuesday.

The Sacred Defense refers to Iran’s resistance against the invading Saddam Army in the 1980s.

200 of the martyrs were honored in Tehran.

The remains of these martyrs, known as heroes of defending against the invaders, were unearthed after the passage of 34 years since the war ended.

Mourners from all walks of life attended funeral services in several cities around the country. 

Commemorating and interring the remains of the martyrs took place in conjunction with the martyrdom anniversary of Lady Fatima (SA) which fell on Tuesday, December 27. 

The funeral ceremonies were also performed ahead of the martyrdom anniversary of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani on January 3, known as Day of Resistance in the Iranian calendar.

These unearthed unknown soldiers took part in military operations, such as Badr, Ramazan, Beit-ul-Moqaddas, Valfajr, and Karbala 5 and 6.

On September 22, 1980, Iraq's former tyrant Saddam Hussein invaded Iran, starting a bloody eight-year war against the Iranians.

Addressing the funeral procession in Tehran, President Ebrahim Raisi said the arms of the Iranian nation remain “open” to those who were tricked by the adversaries during the most recent riots in the country, but no sympathy would be shown to those who fought intentionally against the nation.

All those who were duped will be given amnesty, but “we won't show pity” to the vengeful rebels, he declared.

The president went on to say that haughty groups mislead people with meaningless platitudes and promises of increased freedom, but they only cause agony and shame to nations.

The recent events in Iran were the result of a multifaceted conflict between several groups, stating that all ambitious movements engaged in the violent unrest and the rest were involved in launching misinformation. 

“The recent riots were a battle between many groups as foreign-backed royalist currents, hypocrites (MKO/MEK), and currents of arrogance played a role in this unrest,” he pointed out. 

Raisi stated that Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei had issued a timely warning in this respect, noting, “The rumor-mongers intended to destroy the optimism of the Iranian people and mislead the Muslim society.”

The president said the enemies triggered unrest in the country as they were irritated by the nation's outstanding accomplishments in several fields.

The Iranian people, he said, have learnt to fight the enemy, despite the foes’ best efforts to obstruct Iran's progress. He emphasized that the enemy has tried everything to do so.

However, Raisi asserted, that "all their attempts against the Islamic Republic have shamefully failed."

The president also chastised Tehran's foes for their conflicting words, saying they "send us messages via different channels, proclaim their desire to engage dialogue (to revive the 2015 nuclear deal), and claim that they have no goal to topple the Iranian government."

However, he said, the Iranian people are fully aware of their plans and ploys. 

After Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, died, violent protests broke out in Tehran. Amini passed away in the hospital on September 16, three days after fainting at a police station. Her medical condition was given as the cause of death, refuting claims that she had been beaten by police.

Using the protests as a pretext, rioters and thugs went on rampage, attacking security personnel viciously and committing acts of vandalism. Some of these individuals were later discovered to have ties to foreign parties.

President portrays Lady Fatima as powerful, transformational character

Raisi also expressed his sympathies on the anniversary of Lady Fatima's martyrdom. 

The president said it is feasible yet difficult to pinpoint Lady Fatima's wonderful qualities, sayings, and acts for people. 

He underlined that someone who is honest lives a life that is consistent with their words and deeds.

The president asserted that the great Lady's martyrdom is a testament to her sincerity since she solely had the omnipotent God in mind and moved on in God's will.

He mentioned the success of the ceremonies for the great Lady, pointing out the need of righteous insight and analysis since current ignorance is identical to the ancient ignorance, which makes use of widespread media sources, but Lady Fatima (SA) stood against negligence.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the president said economic problems in the country had their origins in various government departments and administrative agencies, adding that late Imam Khomeini and Ayatollah Khamenei conducted their leadership roles in formulating policies and issuing warnings about impending events.

Raisi underscored that the Islamic Revolution has a leader who is exceptional at directing the population. 

He also said any advancements made so far have been in compliance with the directives of the Leader and Imam Khomeini.