A photo published on Ali Larijani’s Telegram page after he was killed in an Israeli strike showed the traditional ring associated with Shiite leaders still on his hand at the scene. The image echoed one published in Iran in 2020 after the United States killed Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and one of the most powerful figures in the regime. Larijani’s Telegram page published photos of the ring on his hand before and after the strike.
Wearing silver rings set with precious stones is a long-standing and widely recognized custom among Shiite Muslims, and a symbol of faith. The ring is usually worn on the little finger of the right hand and sometimes on the ring finger.
Footage of the ring worn by former President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash
In a report published several years ago by BBC Arabic, the owner of a gemstone shop in Beirut’s Dahiyeh said that “according to Islamic traditions, there are six famous stones used for adornment: turquoise, hematite, Najaf pearl, agate, ruby and emerald.” Another interviewee said the rings carry two meanings for Shiites. The first is religious, tied to traditions indicating that ring-wearing was common in early Islam, and that companions of the Prophet Muhammad also wore them. The second is social, linked to the heritage of Arab and Islamic states and their traditional ornamentation.
Soleimani often appeared in public wearing more than one ring. In 2020, after he was killed in Baghdad, a photo circulated that was said to show his hand with a large ring closely identified with him. According to some reports, the ring helped identify his body. It was also reported that the ring he was wearing when he was killed was later kept by his wife. In 2021, Iran declared the ring part of the country’s cultural heritage.
After Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash in May 2024, The New York Times reported that he was identified by the ring he was wearing, while Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, who was killed alongside him, was identified by his watch. Iranian channels, mainly from the opposition, published a video of unclear authenticity that supposedly showed the ring when it was found at the crash site. It was claimed to have been a gift from Ali Khamenei.
Former Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah also wore a ring in his various public speeches. In December 2024, after he was killed, Arab media reported that a ring that had belonged to him was sold at auction for 680 million toman, about $14,500 at current rates, to “support Lebanon and Gaza.” His successor as Hezbollah leader, Naim Qassem, also wears a ring of his own.