Lebanese Shiites take part in an Ashoura procession amid buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes, when Shiites commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
War, loss and remembrance shaped the observances this year in Lebanon and Iran of Ashoura, one of Shiite Islam’s most important religious days, commemorating the death of a grandson of Prophet Muhammad.
In Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, tens of thousands gathered in synchronized processions, beating their chests in remembrance of Hussein — Muhammad’s grandson — and in remembrance of loved ones killed in the recent war between the Hezbollah militant group and Israel.
In the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh, smaller commemorations unfolded next to the scars of Israeli airstrikes. Smoke from an airstrike on the outskirts of the city underscored the fragility of the current ceasefire. Some participants performed ritual bloodletting by making ceremonial cuts to their heads.
In Iran’s capital, Tehran, residents gathered for ceremonies and processions, many beating their heads and chests. Devotees with torches set fire to tents in a reenactment of the battle in 680 A.D. when Hussein was killed.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Iranians attend a mourning ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 23, 2026, prior to Ashoura, which commemorates the 7th-century martyrdom of Imam Hussein, one of Prophet Muhammad’s grandsons and one of Shiite Islam’s most beloved saints, and 72 of his companions, who were killed in a battle in Karbala in present-day Iraq. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)Hezbollah supporters sit in front of a giant billboard, that shows the two late hezbollah leaders Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine, centre, with other Hezbollah killed commanders, as they listen to the death story of Imam Hussein during the holy day of Ashoura in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)A man carries a torch in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 25, 2026, while re-enacting the enemy of Imam Hussein in the battle of Karbala in A.D. 680 in present-day Iraq, in which the Imam, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, one of Shiite Islam’s most beloved saints, and his family and companions were killed after refusing to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad caliphate. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)A Hezbollah supporter attends the holy day of Ashoura that commemorates the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein, in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT – A Lebanese Shiite weeps for a friend killed during the war as he bleeds from a self-inflicted ceremonial head wound during Ashoura, when Shiites commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)Lebanese Shiite men pass buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes during an Ashoura procession, when Shiites commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)A Lebanese Shiite strikes his head with a sword, bleeding from self-inflicted wounds, during Ashoura, when Shiites commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in In Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)Men burn a tent in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 25, 2026, while re-enacting the enemies of Imam Hussein in the battle of Karbala in A.D. 680 in present-day Iraq, in which the Imam, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, one of Shiite Islam’s most beloved saints, and his family and companions were killed after refusing to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad caliphate. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)Hezbollah cleric mourn as they listen to the death story of Imam Hussein during the holy day of Ashoura that commemorates the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein, in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)A Hezbollah supporter waves an Iranian flag, as she marches during the holy day of Ashoura that commemorates the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein, in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)Hezbollah supporters mourn, as they listen to the death story of Imam Hussein during the holy day of Ashoura that commemorates the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein, in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)A Hezbollah supporter shouts slogans, as he marches during the holy day of Ashoura that commemorates the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein, in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)Iranians attend a mourning ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 25, 2026, in the holy day of Ashoura which commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, one of Shiite Islam’s most beloved saints, and his family and companions at the Battle of Karbala in A.D. 680, in present-day Iraq, after refusing to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad caliphate. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)A woman watches as Lebanese Shiites beat their chests and bleed from self-inflicted ceremonial head wounds during Ashoura, when Shiites commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, amid buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)People mourn as a tent is set on fire in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 25, 2026, during re-enactment of the battle of Karbala in A.D. 680 in present-day Iraq, in which Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, one of Shiite Islam’s most beloved saints, and his family and companions were killed after refusing to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad caliphate. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)A man holds a portrait of his killed brother who was a Hezbollah fighter, as he mourns while listening to the death story of Imam Hussein during the holy day of Ashoura that commemorates the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein, in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)A Hezbollah supporter with a tattoo on his arm showing the signature of late Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, lies on the ground as he listens to the death story of Imam Hussein during the holy day of Ashoura that commemorates the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein, in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)Hezbollah supporters beat their chests, as they march during the holy day of Ashoura that commemorates the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein, in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT – A man bleeds from a ceremonial head wound as he strikes his head during Ashoura, when Shiites commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, amid buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of Nabatiyeh during Ashoura, when Shiites commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT – Bleeding from self-inflicted ceremonial head wounds, Lebanese Shiite men walk past buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes during Ashoura, when Shiites commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)Iranians mourn in a ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 25, 2026, in the holy day of Ashoura which commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, one of Shiite Islam’s most beloved saints, and his family and companions at the Battle of Karbala in A.D. 680, in present-day Iraq, after refusing to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad caliphate. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT – A man bleeds from a ceremonial head wound during Ashoura, when Shiites commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, amid buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)Hezbollah supporters shout slogans, as they march during the holy day of Ashoura that commemorates the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein, in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)Mourners beat their heads and chests in a ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 25, 2026, in the holy day of Ashoura which commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, one of Shiite Islam’s most beloved saints, and his family and companions at the Battle of Karbala in A.D. 680, in present-day Iraq, after refusing to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad caliphate. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)Lebanese Shiite men raise swords during an Ashoura procession, when Shiites commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)A Hezbollah supporter mourns as she listens to the death story of Imam Hussein during the holy day of Ashoura that commemorates the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein, in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)A woman holds a child during a mourning ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 25, 2026, in the holy day of Ashoura which commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and his family and companions at the Battle of Karbala in A.D. 680, in present-day Iraq, after refusing to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad caliphate. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)People mourn as they film the re-enactment of the battle of Karbala in A.D. 680 in present-day Iraq, in which Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, one of Shiite Islam’s most beloved saints, and his family and companions were killed after refusing to pledge allegiance to the Umayyad caliphate, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 25, 2026, in the holy day of Ashoura which commemorates their martyrdom. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)A Hezbollah supporter with mud on his face brought from Karbala, attends the holy day of Ashoura that commemorates the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hussein, in Dahiyeh, Beirut’s southern suburbs, Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT – A man bleeds from a ceremonial head wound during Ashoura, when Shiites commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, amid buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon, Friday, June 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
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