Statement from Iran's supreme leader

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei released a message in which he expressed his hope for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's accompaniment with "Hazrat Baqiyyatullah" (the Awaited Mahdi in Shiite belief) following the Mahdi's appearance. This message was released on the occasion of the funeral and burial of a figure who was referred to as "Shahid" or "Father of the Martyrs of the Nation" in media coverage. Khamenei's message contained religious and poetic writing, with no specific date provided by available sources. The message was published across eight major domestic media outlets.

• Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote in his message: "We hope that our Shahid will be one of those stars who will accompany Hazrat Baqiyyatullah (peace be upon him) following the appearance."
• Khamenei's message included religious addresses containing phrases such as "O Exalted Lord," "O Dignified One," "O Compassionate Imam," and religious references to "Abul-Hasan al-Rida al-Murtada."
• IRIB News Agency covered Khamenei's message under the headline "Father of the Martyrs of the Nation, a Lifetime Longing for Martyrdom," emphasizing the historical and biographical aspects of this figure.
• All eight reviewed media outlets (Fars, IRNA, Mehr, Akharin Khabar, Tejarat News, IRIB News, Vatan-e Emrooz, and Jam-e Jam newspapers) published this message or portions of it.
• Media coverage showed variations in how this figure was addressed: some used the title "Shahid" while others used the phrase "Father of the Martyrs of the Nation.". Coverage difference: All reviewed media outlets conveyed the main substance of Khamenei's message uniformly; however, IRIB News Agency placed greater emphasis on the historical and personal dimensions of this figure and used the expression "Father of the Martyrs of the Nation," whereas other media focused more on direct quotation of Khamenei's message text and its religious content. None of the available sources provided information regarding the precise date of this event or the complete identity of the figure in question.