Ayatollah Khamenei issued a message on Thursday on the occasion of the Sacred Defense Week, which commemorates the memory of the martyrs and veterans who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the nation during the Iraqi-imposed war in the 1980s.

The text of this message was read at the time of ceremonies to place flowers on martyrs’ graves throughout the country under theme “Tulip Party”, the one attended by Mousavi Moghaddam, the representative for the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans' Affairs in Tehran’s Behesht Zahra cemetery.

"Sacred Defense Week" is a great opportunity to light up the atmosphere of the country with the memory of esteemed martyrs, Ayatollah Khamenei said in his message.

This commemoration is the guarantor of the health of the Iranian nation and does not allow to deviate from the path of the Revolution, which should be appreciated 

We should not let material life keep us away from that source of light and purity, the Supreme Leader said.