Statement by His Excellency Mr. Seyed Majid Ghafeleh Bashi, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Prague, on the Occasion of the Beginning of the Islamic Holy Month of Muharram, and the Victory of the Iranian Nation in the current crisis.   In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful   As the sacred month of Muharram begins — the month of sacrifice, uprising, and the triumph of truth over the sword — the world once again turns to the eternal lesson of Karbala: the lesson that taught humanity that power devoid of morality, however equipped with weapons, wealth, and forceful rhetoric, ultimately fails before truth, justice, and the steadfast will of resilient nations.   This year, the beginning of this solemn and historic month coincides with an event of profound significance for the Iranian nation: the heroic victory of the Iranian people in the face of the unlawful, illegitimate, and brutal aggression imposed upon beloved Iran by the United States and the Zionist regime. From the outset, the architects of this aggression, through their open disregard for international law and humanitarian principles, believed that intimidation, pressure, and violence against civilians could force an ancient nation into submission. The horrific tragedy in Minab and the martyrdom of 168 innocent schoolchildren — widely viewed by many as an attempt to break the spirit of the Iranian nation — together with the loss of other innocent civilians, did not intimidate the Iranian people. Rather, they strengthened national unity, resilience, and collective determination. They wanted the Iranian nation to fear. Yet Iran did not fear. For more than one hundred days, the Iranian people demonstrated a historic resistance in the field, in public life, and in diplomacy, emerging with dignity through a “triangle of victory”: the field, diplomacy, and the people. Today, we state with clarity: Iran prevailed. This victory was not merely political or military; it represented the triumph of truth over intimidation, ethics over cruelty, and the will of a nation over war machines and exhausted alliances. The Iranian nation will never forget these crimes. The blood unjustly shed shall endure in the historical memory of this nation, and the banner of justice and accountability for those responsible will never be lowered. In this struggle, Iran was not alone in victory. The awakened peoples of the world also prevailed — whether those in Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq who stood firm, or those across the world who refused to allow human suffering, occupation, the killing of civilians, and injustice to be ignored. Yet those intimidated by superficial displays of power and willing to sacrifice truth for expediency failed the test of history. Finally, we honor the memory of that martyred Imam — the eternal symbol of dignity and resistance — who declared with honor: “One such as me shall never pledge allegiance to one such as Yazid.” If today beloved Iran stands in the position of victory, it is because this triumph is the continuation of that historic refusal — the same hand raised in Karbala against oppression, and the same resolve that repelled those who cast covetous eyes upon Iran.   Seyed Majid Ghafelehbashi Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran – Prague