Tears in Behesht-e Zahra: Mothers Mourn War Dead in Tehran

In a scene that blends profound grief with quiet defiance, the funerals of those killed in the ongoing war in Iran continue. Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, a vast expanse south of Tehran, bears witness to a human tragedy unfolding day by day. As gravediggers meticulously prepare new plots for victims of the US-Israeli attacks, bereaved mothers stand, bidding farewell to their sons snatched by the fires of conflict.

Marziyeh Rezaei was one such mother, her face awash with tears as she mourned her 23-year-old son, Erfan Shami. Erfan was killed in an explosion at a training camp in Kermanshah, western Iran, on March 4. His death came just days before he was due home on leave, a trip planned to finalize his wedding preparations. Marziyeh clutched a large photograph of her son, her voice trembling as she recalled their last conversation, discussing the details of his upcoming leave and his eagerly anticipated return.

“I hadn’t seen him for two months,” Marziyeh told Reuters, her eyes brimming. “His last day before coming home was supposed to be Monday,” the day Reuters met her. Erfan’s tent at the camp had been engulfed in flames, incinerating his body to such an extent that his mother could not even view him. Marziyeh remembered her son as a gentle soul, so much so that he “was afraid of the dark,” adding another layer of poignancy to her devastating loss.

Scenes from Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery

Under the gentle drizzle, Marziyeh sat before her son's grave in Section 42 of Behesht-e Zahra, where dozens of gravediggers were busy preparing for burials. Workers meticulously arranged white marble headstones, inscribed with the names of the deceased—a painful symbol of names that will be etched into the nation's memory.

Amidst the solemnity of death and the grandeur of the scene, as another body was brought for burial in a coffin carried on the shoulders of family and relatives, the rumble of an airstrike echoed across the cemetery. Gray smoke rose from a nearby area, a stark reminder to those present that the war continued, and death could knock at any door at any moment. Graves stretched out under canopies adorned with photographs of the deceased and Iranian flags, while families gathered, weeping and conversing, each carrying their own story of loss and pain. Some women wept quietly, while others beat their chests with their fists, expressing an indescribable sorrow.

A truck stood nearby, laden with colorful flowers that were scattered over the graves, while loudspeakers broadcast Shia mourning chants, lending a spiritual and somber tone to the atmosphere. The same section of the cemetery also holds the remains of members of the Basij, a paramilitary volunteer force of the Revolutionary Guard, as well as officials and detainees from Evin Prison, which has been targeted in the current war and in previous raids.

Stories of Loss and Defiance

Marziyeh was not alone in her grief. Fatemeh Darbishi, 58, lost her 44-year-old brother at the beginning of the war. He was trying to rescue people trapped in a bombed car when he was hit by shrapnel from another explosion, sustaining fatal injuries. “He grew up an orphan. I raised him,” Fatemeh said, weeping, encapsulating in her words a life of devotion that ended in tragedy.

For some mourners, grief was accompanied by fierce anger and clear defiance towards Israel and the United States over the bombing campaign. Ehsan Jangravi’s 25-year-old mother raised her fist in the air, exclaiming passionately: “They will not stop us, and they will not force us to surrender when they burn our hearts.” These words reflect the spirit of resistance born from pain, affirming that loss does not always lead to despair, but can ignite the flame of defiance.

Iranian officials state that the war, which erupted on February 28 with a series of airstrikes on Tehran and other cities, plunging the Middle East into crisis, has claimed the lives of over 1,300 Iranians to date. These figures are not mere statistics; they are stories of individuals like Erfan and Fatemeh's brother, whose hopes and dreams were cut short, leaving behind families grappling with unhealing wounds and facing the future with a mix of deep sorrow and simmering anger.