Prince Reza Pahlavi issued a message to the people of Iran on Thursday, 2 October 2026, on the occasion of the Mehregan festival. In the message he called Mehregan a festival of love and light and a legacy of Iranians' ancestors, and linked it to Fereydun's victory over Zahhak and the triumph of good over evil.
Recalling the Shahnameh's account of the era of Zahhak, in which wisdom and virtue are scorned and deceit is prized, the prince compared this dark picture with the record of the Islamic Republic.
The first Mehregan after Khamenei
In another part of his message he noted that in the Shahnameh Zahhak is not killed but chained up on Mount Damavand, whereas the Zahhak of our time, Ali Khamenei, has finally been laid in the ground.
According to the prince, this is the first Mehregan since the death of the man who in January took tens of thousands of Iran's brave sons and daughters from the nation. He dedicated this year's Mehregan to the memory of the fallen who gave their lives for Iran in the battle against Zahhak, and also to honouring the national culture and identity which, he said, have kept the lamp of hope alight in the hardest days of history.
This year we celebrate Mehregan in memory of the fallen who sacrificed their lives for Iran in the battle against Zahhak.
Visiting the families of the fallen
In closing, Prince Reza Pahlavi asked all his compatriots to visit the families of the fallen during this national celebration and to show them the nation's love, solidarity and gratitude; families who have lost their loved ones on the path to Iran's freedom. He called the memory of these victims the torch of Iran's future and ended his message with the words «Payandeh Iran» (Long live Iran).
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