Araghchi made the remarks on Sunday at an event titled “Muharram and Ashura as Reflected in Foreign Ministry Documents” in Tehran.

He said a deeper examination of documents related to the events of Ashura reveals Iran’s “civilizational pursuit of dignity” in confronting hegemonic systems and colonial powers.

Iranian diplomacy reflected in these documents, he said, is neither rigid nor narrowly opportunistic, but rather a “human-centered diplomacy.”

Araghchi said safeguarding religious sanctities and promoting the culture of Ashura have long been part of the national commitment and diplomatic identity of Iranians in their interactions with the world, despite the anti-religious policies of some rulers, particularly during the Pahlavi regime.

“This year, Muharram and Ashura in Iran have a different character,” he said, referring to the “unjust and cowardly aggression” by the US and Israeli regimes against Iran.

He said Iran had lost numerous martyrs in defense of the country’s freedom, dignity and independence, adding that the Iranian people witnessed the killing of senior figures and their compatriots in various parts of the country, but stood firm in defense of their dignity and independence.

The history of nations has repeatedly shown that when peoples abandon sacrifice, perseverance and efforts to preserve their independence, they lose more than their territory. They risk losing their collective identity, national will and ability to shape their own future, he noted.

“It is with this ideological and strategic understanding that Iran has remained steadfast in its commitment to resistance despite all pressures, and God willing, will continue to do so,” Araghchi said.

“Today’s Iran is standing firm against a storm of injustice and inhumanity,” the top diplomat said, emphasizing commitment to the pledge made to the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

“We will not allow the blood that has been unjustly shed to be forgotten or ignored. We will neither forget nor forgive. This blood will continue to boil and will make the tree of the struggle for justice stronger and more firmly rooted every day,” he said.

Following his speech, Araghchi inaugurated the “Muharram and Ashura as Reflected in Foreign Ministry Documents” exhibition, which is being held from August 9 to 11, 2026, by the Foreign Ministry’s Institute for Political and International Studies.