Rostam Azarbad: From Basketball Court to Martyrdom in Iran-Iraq War

Rostam Azarbad, born on April 21, 1965, in the Zoroastrian quarter of Yazd, grew up in a modest family with his father Mehraban and mother Homayun. He attended Diniari School and Keykhosrow High School, and was an avid basketball player for the Yazd Zoroastrian Youth Club. After receiving his diploma, he began military service, was trained in Shiraz, and deployed to western Iran to confront separatist groups disrupting peace in Kurdistan. As a radioman, he handled coded messages and showed calm resolve in battle. On June 20, 1986, near Saqqez, his unit engaged Komola terrorists, and Rostam was captured. The enemy tortured him to extract critical information, but he refused to speak. In despair, the terrorists executed him. His body fell, but his soul ascended, marking a leap from dust to heavens. Today marks the 40th anniversary of his martyrdom. According to Mehr News, his story exemplifies that faith and ethnicity are no boundaries in defending the homeland; love defines the border.