More than 313,000 join ‘Fedayeen for Iran’ drills in Tehran
More than 313,000 people took part in the “Fedayeen for Iran” maneuver in Tehran as an IRGC commander said Iran’s military readiness had increased.
Participants march during the “Fedayeen for Iran” military and popular maneuver in Tehran on Friday. Photo: AP
September 18, 2026 Hour: 7:05 am
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More than 313,000 people joined a Tehran military and popular maneuver as Iran reported increased readiness following recent hostilities.
More than 313,000 people took part in the “Fedayeen for Iran” military and popular maneuver in Tehran on Friday, with participants marching toward Enqelab Square in a drill organized under an Islamic Revolution Guards Corps initiative.
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The maneuver began at 8 a.m., with participants gathering at Imam Hussein Square and a nearby highway intersection before marching toward Enqelab Square, according to the Mehr News Agency. The event coincided with Sacred Defense Week and the 200th night of what organizers described as the Iranian people’s steadfastness in the face of US-Israeli aggression.
The drill was organized under the “My Life as a Sacrifice” initiative, run by the IRGC’s Mohammad Rasoul Allah Corps in Tehran. Brigadier General Hassan Hassanzadeh, commander of the corps, told Al Mayadeen that about 33 million Iranians had registered for the initiative nationwide. Registrations in Tehran alone had exceeded 400,000 ahead of Friday’s event, he said.
Hassanzadeh described Friday’s gathering as one of the largest drills and organized popular events in Iran’s history, saying that “friends and enemies alike” would witness it.
Speaking ahead of the maneuver, Hassanzadeh said Iran was now more prepared than it had been before the 12-Day War and the Ramadan War. He said Tehran’s strategy remained defensive, focused on protecting the country, its values and its people.
He also said the United States and Israel had failed to defeat or destabilize Iran, arguing that the hostilities had instead strengthened national cohesion.
“Throughout history, the Iranian people have proven that whenever they face aggression, they become more united,” Hassanzadeh said.
Iranian officials have repeatedly affirmed that the population remains prepared to mobilize and make sacrifices in defense of the country and its national achievements.
Hassanzadeh said the IRGC possesses extensive military capabilities and equipment that have not been publicly disclosed, adding that Iran had used only part of those capabilities in previous confrontations. He warned that Iran’s adversaries would “experience these capabilities” if necessary.
He added that Iran’s missile and drone production and development were continuing at full pace without interruption, while Iranian forces had reached a higher level of readiness to respond to any aggression against the country.
Friday’s maneuver brought together participants from across Iran in Tehran as the “My Life as a Sacrifice” initiative continued to expand. Hassanzadeh said registrations for the initiative nationwide had reached about 33 million.
