WANA (Aug 12) – Thousands of hands along the dusty roads leading to Karbala move in unison—wrists bending, arms stretching forward, as if launching a missile. This gesture has emerged not only among Arbaeen pilgrims but also across social media as a new symbol of this year’s millions-strong religious march—one that praises Iran’s missile power and depicts Israel as the loser of a war it initiated. Online platforms are filled with images and videos of these missile-throwing hand gestures, evoking memories of the days and nights when Tel Aviv came under a rain of Iranian missiles during the 12-day conflict.

 

The gesture was introduced this year by a young Iraqi named Abu Jood, a TikTok creator with over three million followers. “I do it with my left hand,” he says, “because Iranian missiles came from the left side of Iraq’s skies and landed in Tel Aviv and Haifa.” His idea spread rapidly, and thousands of Arbaeen pilgrims have been repeating it along the route. “The historic memory of Iran’s missile strikes must not be forgotten,” he insists.

 

Abu Jood adds: “People of Iran, be proud of the leader you have. You are the hope of the Islamic world.” From elderly men to children, many have copied his hand movement and posted videos of it online with captions celebrating the “Iranian missile.”

Arbaeen pilgrims walking and making the hand gesture symbolizing an Iranian missile striking Israel. Social Media / WANA News Agency

 

For years, Israeli and Western media have sought to undermine and belittle Iran’s missile power. This persistent downplaying may have, to some extent, persuaded Western audiences, but in the war rooms of Tel Aviv and Washington, there are few generals who do not know what kinds of missiles and specialized weaponry have been — or are being — developed deep within Iran’s underground military complexes.

 

Every year, millions of Shiites from around the world converge on Iraq during Arbaeen to mourn Imam Hussein, the third Shiite Imam, who was killed by Yazid, a symbol of tyrannical rule. This year, over 21 million pilgrims from 80 countries took part. Even if the gathering were purely religious, it would carry a unique message for the West and Israel—let alone when it turns into a global campaign to shame the occupiers of Palestine and their Arab and Western backers.

 

“Iran’s missiles did to Israel what made me think it was Gaza,” an Iraqi told an Iranian pilgrim during the march. “Iran is our pride. We were so happy to see the missiles heading toward Israel.”

 

New scenes also emerged this year—such as a “missile mawkib” (pilgrim station) in southern Iraq. Sheikh Salah, a tribal leader in Samawah, designed a model of an Iranian missile on which trays of refreshments are placed. “Imam Hussein symbolizes the fight against oppression,” he explains. “Today, these Iranian missiles represent the same struggle, and they belong in the mawkib.” The display proved so popular that some pilgrims altered their route just to see it.

An Iraqi mawkib serving participants in the Arbaeen pilgrimage, featuring an Iranian missile-themed design. Social Media / WANA News Agency

 

Not far away, Sayyid Ahmad Abdulmalik from Yemen, wearing his traditional dagger and attire, gathered a crowd as he spoke of Iran’s victories in the “Sacred Defense of 12 Days.” “I must be the media of Iran’s victory,” he said, “just as Zaynab was the media of Ashura—without her, there would be no Arbaeen.”

 

Videos circulating from the march show Iraqi and foreign pilgrims chanting loudly: “Death to America,” “Death to Israel,” and “Long live Khamenei.”

 

This year’s Arbaeen route carried Iran’s missile power message into the heart of international media—a message that recalls not just a 12-day battle but a broader global narrative of resistance.

 

Years ago, the U.S. Institute of Peace wrote: “Iran has the largest and most diverse missile arsenal in the Middle East, and Israel’s missile inventory is far smaller in both variety and number.” That fact may have faded in Western and Hebrew media, but during this year’s Arbaeen, millions of pilgrims reminded the world of it—through a simple flick of the hand.