‘Frontline Commanders’ in Cognitive War Against U.S.-Israeli Aggression
TEHRAN – Senior Iranian officials issued messages marking National Journalists’ Day on Saturday, praising media professionals for their role in countering hostile disinformation and safeguarding public awareness amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hussein Mohseni-Ejei praised committed journalists for standing alongside the country during the most difficult days of the past year.
“Committed journalists across the country, with courage and a sense of responsibility, safeguarded the boundaries of public awareness and national cohesion and, on the cognitive warfare front, confronted the enemy’s efforts at distortion, blackening and sowing division,” he said.
“At a time when the entire world of infidelity and arrogance has imposed an existential war on our beloved Iran, the magnitude of journalists’ work is understood more than ever,” Ejei added
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagqer Ghalibaf described journalists as the “frontline commanders of the media battle against the enemy” and “commanders who stand firm against the organized onslaughts of the enemies using the tools of the pen, the image, and the narrative”.
He said the fate of nations is determined not only on the battlefield but also on the front of narrative.
“Zionism and global arrogance do not bomb cities alone; they have also targeted truth and people’s trust. If they once waged wars against civilizations with bullets, they are now entering the field with news, images, rumors, and distortion,” Ghalibaf said.
He cited the U.S.-Israeli war of aggression against Iran, which began on February 28 and lasted 40 days, as the most recent example of Iranian reporters conveying the truth to the world.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) issued a statement describing foreign media outlets’ acknowledgment of President Donald
Trump’s failure in the war against Iran as the result of Iranian revolutionary media efforts to counter the enemy’s disinformation campaign.
“Today, the region and the world are witnessing one of the most complex and consequential battles in contemporary history,” the statement said, referring to the second and third wars waged by the United States and Israel against Iran.
Ahmad Norouzi, head of IRIB World Service, stated in a message: “This day on the professional calendar of Iran’s media community is a day to remember a covenant — a covenant between the journalist and truth, between the media and the people, between the pen and responsibility, and between narration and history.”
“In a world where geographical borders have become more open than ever to waves of news, images, narratives, and ideas, the journalist stands at the intersection of reality and public opinion,” Norouzi said.
He emphasized that international media outlets have consistently sought to champion “an independent and responsible narrative of developments in the region, the Resistance Front, and the world”.
Minister of Petroleum Mohsen Paknejad praised media professionals for their efforts during the difficult days of war and sanctions, highlighting their role in reflecting the Iranian nation’s resistance and the sacrifices of oil industry workers.
He stated: “During these difficult days, media professionals, by reporting the people’s suffering, documenting the grandeur of their resistance and exposing the enemy’s crimes, ensured that the truth in our beloved Iran did not remain hidden.”
Iran’s Ministry of Defense described journalists as “strategic allies and partners” in shaping the discourse of comprehensive defense and Iran’s defense industrial development.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to remain powerful, intelligent and prepared on the fronts of defense, narrative and determination,” the ministry said.