A bride and groom hold a rose as they pose for pictures during a mass wedding ceremony for participants in the "Janfada" ("Sacrifice for Iran") pro-government campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
The Iranian government held a mass wedding as part of its “Sacrifice for Iran” event in Tehran amid regional tensions. It combined traditional marriage ceremonies with patriotic symbolism such as flags, portraits and a lilac-colored missile.
A crowd waves Iranian flags during a mass wedding ceremony for couples participating in the “Janfada” (“Sacrifice for Iran”) pro-government campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)A bride and groom walk among attendants during a mass wedding ceremony for participants in the “Janfada” (“Sacrifice for Iran”) pro-government campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)A group of girls stand beside a “Khaybar-buster” missile during a mass wedding ceremony for couples participating in the “Janfada” (“Sacrifice for Iran”) pro-government campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)A groom takes a selfie as couples sit during a mass wedding ceremony for participants in the “Janfada” (“Sacrifice for Iran”) pro-government campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 18, 2026.(AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)A group of women attend a mass wedding ceremony for couples participating in the “Janfada” (“Sacrifice for Iran”) pro-government campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)Couples sit during a mass wedding ceremony for participants in the “Janfada” (“Sacrifice for Iran”) pro-government campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)Newlyweds ride in pickup trucks during a mass wedding ceremony for couples participating in the “Janfada” (“Sacrifice for Iran”) government campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)Couples sit during a mass wedding ceremony for participants in the “Janfada” (“Sacrifice for Iran”) pro-government campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)A bride holds a rose as couples are greeted by attendants during a mass wedding ceremony for participants in the “Janfada” (“Sacrifice for Iran”) pro-government campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)People take pictures during a mass wedding ceremony for couples participating in the “Janfada” (“Sacrifice for Iran”) government campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)Girls hold portraits of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and his late father, former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as they watch a mass wedding ceremony for couples participating in the “Janfada,” or “Sacrifice for Iran,” pro-government campaign in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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