A video circulating from Gonabad, eastern Iran, reports scenes of advanced self-flagellation with chains ("perguls") by Shiite mourners marking Ashura 2026, according to Abu Ali Express.
A single source — the source Abu Ali Express — posted footage from Gonabad, Khorasan province, eastern Iran, showing advanced self-flagellation ("self-flagellation for advanced practitioners") with chains ("perguls") as part of Ashura observances on the tenth of Muharram, corresponding to June 25, 2026. The clip carries no independent verification, and no official Iranian comment has been reported. The Zioneer has no prior reporting on Ashura observances in Iran this year. Ashura commemorates the seventh-century martyrdom of Imam Hussein at Karbala and is marked annually by Shiite communities worldwide with mourning rituals that include public processions and ritual self-flagellation; the "advanced" practice with metal chain bundles, known as perguls, is one of the more physically intense forms and has been subject to periodic health warnings and occasional restrictions by Iranian authorities in past years.
- DevelopingShiite 'Ashura Evenings' begin with self-flagellation gatherings across the region
- DevelopingIran: massive Muharram mourning ceremony held in Tehran's Revolution Square
- DevelopingIranian national football team members participate in Muharram mourning ceremony
- DevelopingThousands of Shia gather in Tehran to mark Muharram, the month of mourning
Source and signal
A single-sourced dispatch is never rated Confirmed or Strong. Its Signal strengthens only when a second, independent source corroborates it.
- Internal intake