Sacred Defence Week

{{Short description|Annual Iranian observance of the Iran–Iraq War}} thumb|Parade during Sacred Defence Week (2019)

The '''Sacred Defence Week''' ({{langx|fa|هفته دفاع مقدس}} ''Hafte Defâ Moqaddas'', also translated ''Holy Defence Week'') is an Iranian annual commemoration of the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq War (often called "the Sacred Defence" in Iran). It is marked by military parades.<ref>{{cite book|title=Iran in the 21st Century: Politics, economics and conflict |authorlink=Homa Katouzian|last=Katouzian|first=Homa|author2=Hossein Shahidi|page=162|year=2008|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781134077601}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Iranian Intellectuals: 1997-2007|last=Ridgeon|first=Lloyd V.J.|pages=91–92|year=2008|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9780415443289 }}</ref> It is set by the Iranian calendar and begins on Shahrivar 31.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://sayyidali.com/news-analysis/iran-marks-sacred-defense-anniversary-with-nationwide-parades.html |title=Iran Marks Sacred Defense Anniversary with Nationwide Parades |access-date=2017-03-19 |archive-date=2019-08-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190826171900/http://sayyidali.com/news-analysis/iran-marks-sacred-defense-anniversary-with-nationwide-parades.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein at the time, tore up the 1975 Algerian agreement by appearing in front of Iraqi television cameras, announcing the start of the Ba'athist regime's invasion of the Islamic Republic of Iran.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=The beginning of Holy Defense Week|url=https://hawzah.net/fa/Magazine/View/3282/4955/42543/%D8%A2%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%87%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%87-%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B9-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%B3|website=hawzah.net}}</ref>

During the Iran-Iraq war, Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader and commander-in-chief of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces, was responsible for the mass mobilization and organization of the Iranian people and the armed forces, the development of military organization, coordination and cohesion between the armed forces, and the encouragement of war.<ref name=":0" />

This week was known as War Week or Imposed War Week and was later renamed Holy Defense Week.<ref>{{Cite web|title=war week|url=http://www.imam-khomeini.ir/fa/c78_123894/%DA%A9%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A8/%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B9_%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%B3_%D8%AC%D9%86%DA%AF_%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%84%DB%8C_%D8%AF%D8%B1_%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%B4%D9%87_%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%85_%D8%AE%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%86%DB%8C_%D8%B3_/%D9%87%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%87_%D8%AC%D9%86%DA%AF|website=www.imam-khomeini.ir}}</ref>

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Category:Annual events in Iran Category:Observances set by the Solar Hijri calendar Category:Iran–Iraq War Category:Military of Iran Category:September observances Category:Autumn in Iran