TEHRAN — Iranian authorities held mass public wedding ceremonies in several major squares in Tehran for couples said to have signed up to a state-sponsored self-sacrifice scheme, according to Iranian media. Hundreds of couples took part in the events across the capital, including more than 100 couples at the Imam Hossein square in central Tehran.

The ceremonies were broadcast on state television. Couples arrived at Imam Hossein square in military jeeps with mounted machine guns and were married on a stage presided over by a cleric. The stage was festooned with balloons and a giant image of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. Images showed crowds of well-wishers clasping roses and watching on. According to Mehr news agency, 110 couples took part in the ceremony at Imam Hossein square.

Participants in the self-sacrifice scheme pledged to put their lives on the line in the war by forming human chains outside power stations, according to Iranian state media. Iranian authorities say millions of people have put their names forward for the scheme, including Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and President Masoud Pezeshkian.

One participant quoted by Mehr news agency defended the decision to hold weddings during the conflict. "Certainly, the country is at war, but young people also have the right to marry," the participant said. Another told the agency the couples had visited members of the public around the ceremonies. "We received their blessings. Furthermore, we came to offer our best wishes to the people in the streets," the participant said.

On the same day as the ceremonies, tents appeared on various squares in Tehran where military members offered tutorials on basic firearms use. Since the start of the war, Iranian authorities have held major pro-government gatherings almost daily. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since being elevated to the position of Supreme Leader after the killing of his father and predecessor Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war.