Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Kian Sharifi. In this edition, I'm looking at how Irans leadership is embracing patriotic themes and national identity in an effort to unify a fractured nation in the wake of war.

What You Need To Know

National Identity Takes Center Stage:In the wake of the recent war with Israel, Iranians are witnessing a marked increase in national symbols, slogans, and patriotic gestures across the country -- an effort widely seen as part of a state-driven campaign to bolster national unity. These expressions have even crept into religious ceremonies that are typically free of overt political or nationalistic themes.

Debating Nuclear Opacity:Following the war with Israel and the US bombing of Irans nuclear sites, there are growing calls in Iran for pursuing a policy of nuclear opacity. Also known as nuclear ambiguity, it is a policy in which a country deliberately neither confirms nor denies possessing nuclear weapons. The goal is to reap the strategic benefits of deterrence while avoiding the political and diplomatic consequences of being an officially declared nuclear power. With Iran having suspended cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), proponents argue the next step should be the adoption of this policy. Critics, however, say denying the IAEA access to Irans nuclear sites isnt strategic ambiguity but a path to renewed conflict.

Returning To The Negotiating Table:The United States and Iran arepreparingto resume nuclear talks amid deep mistrust exacerbated by last months joint US-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Originally set for July 10 in Oslo, the talks have been delayed but remain likely. While both sides claim to support diplomacy, Iran seeks assurances against future attacks. US President Donald Trump has signaled interest in a broader deal but warns of further strikes if Iran resumes high-level uranium enrichment.

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The Big Issue

Khamenei speaks to eulogist Mahmud Karimi during a mourning ceremony commemorating the death anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussein.

Patriotism Over Piety

In an attempt to strengthen people's national sentiment, the Islamic Republic is leaning into national symbols and slogans as opposed to religious motifs in public spaces and even religious mourning ceremonies.

Over the past couple of weeks, patriotic songs and Iranian flags have been observed in Shiite mourning events. Notably, during an Ashura mourning ceremony attended by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, renowned eulogist Mahmud Karimi sang a rendition of Ey Iran -- "Oh Iran" -- at Khameneis request.

Ashura is one of the most important and solemn days in the Islamic calendar, especially for Shiite Muslims, marking the death of the third Shiite imam, Hussein.

Meanwhile, state media and billboards have been using symbols from ancient Iran and characters from the national epic Shahnameh.

The increasingly prominent display of national symbols and patriotic themes in religious events is an uncommon move for a political system that has historically sidelined nationalism in favor of religious identity and pan-Islamic unity.

Why It Matters:An unstated but widely believed aim of the 12-day war launched by Israel on June 13 was to weaken -- and possibly topple -- the Islamic Republic.

In power since 1979, the countrys clerical establishment has in recent years faced mounting challenges to its legitimacy, from mass protests to historically low voter turnout. Whereas it once relied on religious sentiment to rally support, the Islamic republic now appears to be shifting tactics, seeking to unify a fractured society by appealing more directly to a shared sense of Iranian national identity.

However, critics say its a little too late for that. And they particularly have taken issue with changes made to patriotic anthems sung in religious ceremonies.

What's Being Said:Sadegh Nojouki, a prominent Iranian composer based in Los Angeles, believes the worst damage has been done to the national anthem Ey Iran.

This is like dropping a bomb on Persepolis or Hafezs tomb, he told RFE/RLs Radio Farda, referring to a 14th-century Persian poet. Its even worse if the destruction is done from within. As an Iranian, how can you be okay with that?

Meanwhile, the hardline Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has openly called for a revival of the mass executions of political prisoners carried out in the 1988.

The statement comes amid a sweeping crackdown, including arrests on espionage and national security charges and the execution of several prisoners in the wake of the Iran-Israel war -- developments that have deepened fears of escalating political and social repression in Iran.

Mehdi Aslani, a former political prisoner and survivor of the 1988 mass executions, told Radio Farda that the regime is not undergoing reform but is simply leading prisoners to the gallowsthis time to the sound of patriotic anthems instead of religious chants.

Expert Opinion:This is an attempt to patch up the fractured structure and shaken authority of the regime, Aslani said.

That's all from me for now.

Until next time,

Kian Sharifi

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