Dubai, March 1: In a highly symbolic and rare move, Iran has raised the "Red Flag of Revenge" atop the dome of the Jamkaran Mosque in the holy city of Qom. The flag, which was unfurled on Sunday, March 1, serves as a traditional Shia signal for a vow to avenge spilled blood. This development follows reports of the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other senior military officials during the joint US-Israeli military campaign known as "Operation Epic Fury."

The raising of the flag is a significant departure from standard protocol and is reserved for moments of grave national mourning and explicit calls for military retribution. Hundreds of protesters gathered at the mosque complex shortly after the flag was hoisted, chanting anti-Israel and anti-American slogans. While the Iranian government is currently in a state of operational disarray following the decapitation strikes in Tehran, the display in Qom is being viewed by regional analysts as a formal declaration of intent for a massive second-wave retaliation. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Death News: Will it Stop the Israel Iran War or Start WW3?

Iran Raises ‘Red Flag of Revenge’ Over Jamkaran Mosque Following Death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iran Raises Red Flag: The Symbolism

The red flag, emblazoned with the words "Ya la-Tharat al-Hussein" (O ye avengers of Hussein), is deeply rooted in the history of the 7th-century Battle of Karbala. In Shia tradition, a red flag stays raised over a mosque or a tomb until the blood of a martyred leader has been avenged. This is only the fourth time in modern history that the flag has been raised over the Jamkaran Mosque, following the deaths of Qasem Soleimani in 2020 and Ismail Haniyeh in 2024.

By raising the flag, the religious establishment in Qom is signaling to the Iranian public and the wider Islamic world that the current conflict has reached a point of "no return." It acts as a religious and psychological mobilizer, calling upon the faithful and the military to prepare for a "long war" against those responsible for the strikes. Iran-Israel War: Which Country is On Which Side? Is it Heading to WW3?

Context: Operation Epic Fury

The flag was raised just hours after the Pentagon confirmed the details of "Operation Epic Fury," which targeted Iran's political heart in broad daylight. The strikes, which involved high-precision munitions, leveled several buildings in the Pasteur Street district of Tehran, where the Supreme Leader’s official residence and offices are located.

While US President Donald Trump initially stated that the operation was aimed at neutralising missile sites and naval assets, the outcome has resulted in the most significant leadership void in the Islamic Republic’s history. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has since confirmed it has already launched a "first wave" of missiles targeting Israel and US bases in the Gulf, but the raising of the red flag suggests a much broader offensive is imminent.

The signal from Qom has caused immediate concern across the Middle East. Security forces in Israel, Jordan, and the Gulf states have been placed on the highest possible alert level. Historically, the raising of this flag has been followed by direct kinetic action, such as the 2020 missile strikes on the Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 01, 2026 04:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).