Nournews: The calendars of great nations are more than a collection of dates and commemorations. They are repositories of historical experiences, acts of resistance and epics passed down from one generation to the next, helping illuminate the path ahead.

Iran’s calendar, too, contains days that represent more than historical events; they embody enduring schools of thought and strategic principles. September 3, marking the anniversary of the martyrdom of Rais Ali Delvari, is one such day. It is commemorated as the day of the “struggle against colonialism” in Iran’s historical memory.

Delvari: A Story of Resistance Against an Empire

On September 3, 1915, Rais Ali Delvari, the courageous son of Iran’s proud Bushehr province, was killed at a time when Britain regarded itself as the world’s unrivaled power and ruled over vast parts of the globe.

Under such circumstances, the Delvaris, with minimal resources but relying on faith, national pride, strategic awareness and a clear understanding of their adversary, stood against the occupiers and created the epic of the people of Tangestan.

At the time, colonial powers, backed by military might and aided by mercenaries and collaborators, sought to turn Iran into a territory for plundering its resources and stripping it of its independence. But the Delvaris demonstrated that a nation’s power is not measured solely by its military equipment and material resources. A determination rooted in faith, patriotism and an accurate understanding of the enemy can stand as a barrier even against the greatest powers of its time.

More than a century has passed since those days. Yet attempts by colonial powers to distort the past and downplay their historical crimes have failed to erase the name of the Delvaris or the message of their resistance from Iran’s collective memory.

Their legacy continues to carry a clear message today: lasting security cannot be begged from foreign powers. It must instead be built on the foundations of internal strength and confidence in national capabilities.

From Tangestan to the Persian Gulf: History Taking Shape in the Present

History does not always repeat itself through identical events. At times, it re-emerges through the revival of a particular logic and determination.

In the era of the Delvaris, the British entered Bushehr to occupy Iranian territory, while the people of Tangestan took up arms to drive them out. Today, too, the descendants of that generation, relying on indigenous capabilities, seek to disrupt the calculations of adversaries before they can turn their ambitions of aggression against Iranian territory into reality.

The detention of British and U.S. military personnel in the Persian Gulf, as well as the seizure of a British tanker in response to the detention of an Iranian tanker in Gibraltar, are examples of how the balance of power has shifted in this strategic region.

During the 12-Day War and the Ramadan War, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s armed forces, relying on indigenous missile and drone capabilities, likewise demonstrated that today’s generation is continuing the path begun by the Delvaris: standing against aggression and rejecting the logic of surrender.

At the same time, the synergy among the military arena, diplomacy, society and the media has created a new source of national power—one that demonstrates that Iran’s security and future cannot be held hostage to the will of foreign powers.

Hormuz: The Bushehr of Today on the Front Line

If Bushehr was the gateway through which Iran confronted colonial incursions in the era of the Delvaris, the Strait of Hormuz today is one of the most important arenas in which Iran’s resolve confronts the powers of domination.

Brave figures such as Martyr Tangsiri, along with members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy and the Iranian Army Navy, have stood in this strategic geography, inspired by the same culture of resistance.

The power that the United States believed could defeat Iran in the shortest possible time, gain control over its energy resources, and dominate the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz encountered a different reality.

Today, the importance of Hormuz extends far beyond the waterway itself. The strait has become one of the key nodes of global energy security and the world economy, and any development there can affect oil markets, fuel prices, stock markets, bonds, inflation and even governments’ economic calculations.

The Delvaris of Today: On the Front Line of the Battle of Narratives

But the adversary’s campaign has not ended. The tools have changed, and the conflict has expanded from the military battlefield into the realms of economics, media and perception.

Today’s war is a battle of narratives—a struggle to undermine confidence in national capabilities, downplay achievements, spread despair and portray resistance as the cause of defeat and isolation.

At the same time, the very powers with a long record of intervention and atrocities seek to portray themselves as the saviors of nations, even attempting to justify actions such as the attacks on Minab and Lamerd and the targeting of a wedding ceremony under the guise of humanitarian claims.

The objective is to create a miscalculation in public opinion and steer society toward accepting “neo-colonialism” under the promise of solving its problems.

Today, Iran needs Delvaris on the battlefield of perception and narratives more than ever—men who understand that independence is the product of national solidarity, not faith in promises made by foreign powers.

The Delvaris did not trust the outstretched hand of colonialism. Behind the velvet glove, they recognized the iron fist of domination.

From Tangestan to the Sacred Defense, from the 12-Day War to the Ramadan War, and from the shores of the Persian Gulf to the Strait of Hormuz, one historical truth has endured: lasting security rises from within nations.

This is the legacy of the Delvaris—a legacy that today takes shape through resistance, self-reliance and the indigenization of security, standing not only for Iran but also as a new model confronting a global order dominated by hegemonic powers.