Ghalibaf made the remarks in a message on Saturday marking National Journalists' in Iran. Observed on the 17th day of the Iranian calendar month of Mordad, the occasion commemorates the anniversary of the martyrdom of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA)'s reporter Mahmoud Saremi, along with eight Iranian diplomats, at the Iranian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1998.
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,” the speaker said in his message.
In such a world, he added, reporters are not merely responsible for producing news. Still, they are “fighters whose fortress is knowledge, whose weapon is truth, and whose mission is to defend psychological security, national identity, and the cultural sovereignty of a nation.”
Ghalibaf cited the US-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 third imposed war demonstrated to people across the world that proud Iran is not only invincible on the military front, but also on the front of narrative. The sons of this land do not allow the enemy to impose its illusory victories on public opinion,” he said, praising Iranian reporters for accurately portraying the nation’s resistance.
MNA