text: Veterans are presented with awards and are thanked for their service on formalities such as ceremonies which are plentiful and widely covered in the Iranian media, particularly on two annual national occasions, namely Disabled Veterans' Day in May and Sacred Defence Week (Sept. 20–27), which commemorates the commencement of the Iran–Iraq War.
  According to the supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, "disabled war veterans are images of the war crimes of big powers who encouraged former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to invade Iran."