STORY: Iranians attended street rituals and passion plays on Sunday (July 6) to mark Ashura, the holiest day of the Shi'ite Muslim calendar.

Mourners wearing costumes re-enacted the events that led to the killing of Imam Hossein and his family, according to Shi'ite Muslim teachings. Men dressed in black waved swords and beat on their chests as a part the ritual, while women in the audience wiped tears.

The events took place amid heightened conflict between Iran and Israel, which has stalled negotiations over Iran's nuclear program with the US.

"It would mean for us to back down and lose everything," said a woman attending the Ashura ceremony when asked about the possibility of Iran and the U.S. returning to the negotiation table. "It would mean disarmament, not reconciliation," she added.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attended another religious ceremony on Saturday (July 5), marking his first public appearance since reports emerged that he was in a "secure location" following the start of a 12-day air war with Israel, during which top Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists were killed.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: TEHRAN, IRAN (JULY 6, 2025) (WANA - No use BBC Persian. No use VOA Persian. No use Manoto. No use Iran International)

1. MEN WEARING BLACK WAVING SWORDS AS A PART OF ASHURA STREET PROCESSION

2. MEN PLAYING DRUMS SURROUNDED BY CROWDS OF PEOPLE

3. WOMEN AMONG MOURNERS CRYING

4. MEN PERFORMING SWORD RITUALS

5. SIGN WITH RELIGIOUS SLOGANS

6. PERFORMERS WEARING VIVID YELLOW AND RED COSTUMES PLAYING CYMBALS AND DRUMS

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) ZOHORIPOUR (FIRST NAME NOT GIVEN), MOURNER SAYING:

"Considering so many years have passed since the actual Ashura day, the memory of it is still alive in everyone's heart and it's like it happened today, and it will never fade."

8. PERFORMERS WEARING VIVID YELLOW AND RED COSTUMES PLAYING CYMBALS AND DRUM

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) ZOHORIPOUR (FIRST NAME NOT GIVEN), MOURNER SAYING:

"Negotiation? No, I do not agree with negotiations because it would mean backing down. It wouldn't mean reconciliation. It would mean disarmament. It would mean for us to back down and lose everything.”

10. VARIOUS OF SHI’ITE PASSION PLAY KNOW AS TA’ZIEH IN PROGRESS

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) KASRA POORSHAD, TEHRAN RESIDENT SAYING (When asked about the result of Iran -Israel war):

"In my opinion, a war does not have a winner or a loser. But as far as I know, we, Iranians, will fight until our last breath for our motherland, and we will definitely win someday."

12. TA’ZIEH PERFORMANCE IN PROGRESS

13. WOMAN CRYING

14. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) MOHSEN BAHARMAST, MOURNER SAYING:

"Negotiating would be wrong because they (U.S) are non-believers. They are called Christians, but they have no religion. They are subordinates of the Jewish people; Christians but subordinates of the Jewish people!"

15. SECURITY FORCES PRESENT AT THE CEREMONY

16. TENT BEING SET ON FIRE AS A PART OF TA’ZIEH PERFORMANCE

17. TENT BURNING PERFORMANCE IN PROGRESS

18. VARIOUS OF GROUP OF SHIRTLESS MEN BEATING ON THEIR CHESTS AS PART OF THE MOURNING RITUALS INSIDE OF A VENUE FOR RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES