A first-hand account from Mohaddeseh Nasr, wife of police officer and security defender Martyr Seyed Ali Khoshouei, on their life together, the last months before his martyrdom, and the pain of loss amid Iran’s unrest.
How They Met and Married
Mohaddeseh Nasr remembers meeting Seyed Ali Khoshouei when he was 17, right after graduating high school, at the Hazrat Abolfazl Mosque. Both had begun volunteering with the mosque’s Basij unit. He approached her family for marriage, but because he was still young and unestablished, they agreed he would first complete his military service and prepare for life before formally proposing.
Their wedding took place on 25 October 2020 (4 Aban 1399). Because this was during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no celebration or banquet — just the civil marriage ceremony.
It was also the night of Imam al-Mahdi’s commemoration. In a quiet moment, Ali whispered that every martyr had asked his wife to pray for him to become a martyr. Then he asked her to pray for his martyrdom. She prayed, though her heart wished instead for a long life together.
Time Apart — A Hard Engagement
Their marriage was marked by long separations. Ali served in Tehran for 20 days at a time, then returned to Isfahan for 10 days. On those days together, they were inseparable. On the long stretches apart, they relied on phone calls — sometimes up to eight hours a day.
Simple Wedding, Meaningful Start
After his Tehran assignment, they held a simple wedding celebration. With no lavish party, they chose to go on a pilgrimage to Karbala, then hosted a small meal for family and friends and began building their life together. They also worked on community and cultural activities related to honoring martyrs.
Close Calls and Growing Fear
Mohaddeseh recounts a terrifying night when she lost contact with Ali — he didn’t answer his phone, which she had learned to read as danger itself.
Earlier, during the protests after the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022, Ali’s vehicle had been struck by a motorcycle during clashes and he had later been treated at Al-Zahra Hospital. He survived, but the experience had made her fearful each time his phone went silent.
This fear became reality.
The Last Pilgrimage
On 28 Safar, the couple traveled to Mashhad for Imam Reza’s martyrdom anniversary. Ali would often step into the crowded shrine courtyards, drawn to mourning crowds, while Mohaddeseh waited nearby. His brother was in the city, and Ali would disappear into processions, promising to return in a few hours.
The Pain of Acceptance
Ali often spoke openly about his wish for martyrdom. In moments beside the shrine dome, he’d ask her to pray for him. He talked about wanting a grand funeral and a red bridal cloth on their home — signs of martyrdom — joking that one day she’d hold a camera and proudly say, “I am the wife of a martyr.”
They had even visited the Golestan Shohada (Martyrs’ Cemetery) after the 12-Day War in 2025, where he gazed at unassigned graves and wondered aloud who would rest there next.
The Night of the Incident
The night of the fatal event began like many others, with Mohaddeseh uneasy. Ali came home briefly, exhausted from late-night duties, but insisted he wanted the comfort of home even for a short visit.
That evening he urged her to go to her parents’ house for safety. She remembers fastening a protective prayer band around his arm — one she had written with Ayat al-Kursi and the chapters of Nas and Falaq — whispering prayers, and watching him leave in haste.
A Shocking Call
Moments after he left, she received a call on her mother’s phone. The voice on the other end was chaotic — shouting, chanting, and clapping. When her mother asked who was calling, the person said, “We have stabbed the officers to pieces and burned them.” Then the call was cut.
Her mother quickly removed Mohaddeseh from speakerphone. She prayed he might still be alive, injured but safe.
Searching Through Chaos
That night she and her father set out toward Qaemieh, but the streets were beset with gunfire and danger. They tried hospital after hospital — Sadooghi Hospital and others — only to see scenes of destruction: shattered glass, smoke, fire, and burnt motorcycles reminding her of war.
“Is My Husband’s Blood More Precious?”
Knowing that Ali chose to serve hardened her faith in his calling even as her heart broke. She once begged him not to go on a mission, afraid he might never return. He simply said, “Am I the only one in this uniform? If I don’t go, who will?” When the risk was clear, he stayed home once — only for her to realize that protection sometimes cannot change fate.
The Long Shadow of Loss
Mohaddeseh says the loneliness of separation is agonizing. She cries and tells herself, “Please don’t be so good — your goodness shakes my heart,” remembering how he always said, “Nothing happens except by God’s will.” She ends her story with three heartfelt prayers:
- For the hastening of the reappearance of Imam Mahdi
- For the health of Iran’s supreme leader
- For the safety of all who wear the uniform to protect others
And finally — that Iran’s youth may awaken in awareness, and that all of them may end well.
From: ISNA