Widespread Family Participation in Friday Prayers: A Public Response to Israel’s Recent Threats

WANA (Jun 20) – On Friday, June 20, 2025, mass family participation was observed in this week’s “Fridays of Victory and Rage” prayers held across Iran. In Tehran in particular, the turnout was so large that metro stations and streets leading to the University of Tehran were overcrowded with worshippers.

According to on-the-ground reporters and images shared by various domestic media outlets, the crowds in some cities were so massive that prayer halls could not accommodate all participants, forcing many worshippers to perform prayers in the surrounding streets.

Tehran Amid Wartime Tensions: Families Attend Friday Prayers Together
June 20, 2025 / WANA News Agency

This widespread presence came despite earlier reports warning of potential targeted attacks on Friday prayers by the Israeli regime, especially in Tehran.

What stood out most was the diverse composition of the participants. People from various walks of life, representing different religious beliefs, political views, and social backgrounds, were seen gathered together.

Tehran Amid Wartime Tensions: Families Attend Friday Prayers Together
June 20, 2025 / WANA News Agency

As analysts have noted, Israel’s military aggression against Iran and the wartime atmosphere appear to have fostered a rare sense of unity and collective purpose among the Iranian public. Worshippers carried Iranian flags and symbolically trampled on the flags of the United States and Israel, expressing their anger at Israeli aggression and the threats issued by U.S. and Israeli officials.

One of the most prominent chants heard in Tehran was: “Woe unto the enemy if Khamenei gives the order for jihad” – a slogan that drew wide attention and was seen as a powerful expression of public readiness to mobilize in response to military threats.

Friday Prayer Leader of Ahvaz Attends the Prayers in Military Uniform, Social media/ WANA News Agency

Reports from provinces such as Khuzestan, Alborz, Qom, Ahvaz, Khorasan, Fars, East Azerbaijan, and others also indicated significant turnouts and post-prayer marches. In Ahvaz, the Friday prayer leader appeared in military uniform. Citizens chanted slogans like “Death to Traitors” to assert their political stance.

People from All Walks of Life Join the Friday of Solidarity and Resistance in Karaj, Chanting “Death to the Treacherous Traitor” / WANA News Agency 

These demonstrations were part of the “Fridays of Rage and Victory” campaign organized by Iran’s Coordination Council for Islamic Propaganda. According to officials from the council, the events aim to protest “Zionist regime crimes against the Iranian people and Gaza,” and to denounce recent threats by the United States, including those directed at Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.

In his Friday sermon in Tehran, Hojjatoleslam Haj Ali-Akbari addressed the Israeli-imposed war, stating firmly: “No one is negotiating, no one dares to, and no one is allowed to.” The remark received widespread attention in the media and has been interpreted as a clear indication of Iran’s official stance against any negotiations under current circumstances.

Tehran Amid Wartime Tensions: Families Attend Friday Prayers Together
June 20, 2025 / WANA News Agency

The presence of families, including women and children, attracted particular media attention and was highlighted as a symbol of national solidarity and high morale among Iranians despite the wartime conditions.

Analysts believe that holding Friday prayers and subsequent rallies amid ongoing military strikes sends a significant political message both domestically and internationally: it demonstrates a form of societal cohesion in the midst of a full-scale military confrontation.

Tehran Amid Wartime Tensions: Families Attend Friday Prayers Together
June 20, 2025 / WANA News Agency