On the occasion of Journalists’ Day, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued a statement framing the role of the press as a strategic component of national defense. According to reports from Press TV, Ghalibaf referred to journalists as 'frontline commanders' engaged in a 'media battle' against external adversaries.

In his address, Ghalibaf emphasized that reporters possess the tools—specifically the pen, imagery, and narrative—necessary to resist what he termed the 'organized onslaughts' of the country's enemies. He argued that these efforts are critical to maintaining national morale and preventing the public from being swayed by foreign influence. The Speaker asserted that the 'children of this land' would not permit adversaries to successfully construct false perceptions or 'imagined victories' within the minds of the Iranian people.

While the report highlights the Speaker's call for journalists to act as defenders of the state, it does not provide context regarding the current state of press freedom in Iran or the specific challenges journalists face within the country. The rhetoric used by Ghalibaf reflects a long-standing government perspective that views international media coverage as a form of 'soft war' against the Islamic Republic. By positioning journalists as commanders, the Speaker effectively aligns the professional duties of the press with the security interests of the state, suggesting that objective reporting is secondary to the goal of countering foreign narratives.