By Staff, Agencies Leader of the Islamic Revolution His Eminence Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei issued a message on the anniversary of the occasion of Sacred Defense Week on Thursday. In his message, His Eminence said that the martyrs' sacrifices gave the Iranian nation victory.

Imam Khamenei also said Martyrs' blood proves the rightfulness of the Islamic Republic.

His Eminence further noted that the martyrs taught great lessons by their sacrifices to the Iranian nation, adding that "where there is sacrifice and steadfastness, there is victory and dignity and the Iranian nation will not forget this invaluable lesson." In Iran, Sacred Defense Week is commemorated every year starting September 21st, which marks the beginning of defending the country against the foreign-backed Baathist regime of Saddam Hussein of Iraq between 1980 and 1988.

According to official statistics, 225,570 Iranian people were martyred and 574,101 people became disabled during the Sacred Defense