“We commemorate our fallen heroes—40 yrs after Saddam’s invasion & start of 8 yr Iran-Iraq war. We stood tall, with the world supporting the aggressor—even w/ chemical weapons. Let’s remember: -We can only rely on ourselves; -Those who start a war don’t end it; -War has no winner,” Zarif said in a tweet on Monday.

Iran is observing the Sacred Defense Week on the 40th anniversary of the start of Iraq’s imposed war on the Islamic Republic.

The annual event honors those who sacrificed their lives during eight years of resistance against the invading forces loyal to dictator Saddam Hussein in the 1980s.