Iranians embrace anthem by AI singer created by UK-based, Iran-born artist

I did it for the people,' says Farbod Mehr, of song drawing lyrics from the work of revolutionary 20th-century poet Aref Qazvini

A stirring song - sung, apparently, by a young woman, with lyrics expressing the hope that sacrifice will lead to a better future - has become a soundtrack for Iranians in the first part of 2026, as the country experienced the brutal crackdown on anti-regime protests and then the US-Israeli air assault, now in its third week.

However, the singer, called Nava, is a product of artificial intelligence, created by a London-based artist of Iranian origin, Farbod Mehr.