WANA (Aug 26) – Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekari, spokesperson for Iran’s Armed Forces, criticized media outlets opposed to the Islamic Republic, describing some of them as “soldiers of Zionism and the United States” and saying that, from the perspective of Iran’s armed forces, they are not considered media organizations and could even be included in the country’s military target bank.

 

Shekari referred to what he described as a “global imperialist media empire,” saying that Iran’s adversaries have made extensive financial investments in the sector and have access to advanced technologies and sophisticated media tools.

 

He claimed that the center of gravity of this media network is controlled by Israel, alleging that outlets such as the BBC, Iran International, and Radio Farda are directly connected to Israeli and U.S. intelligence agencies and receive guidance and support from them.

 

The Armed Forces spokesperson further said that the military does not regard these organizations as legitimate media outlets. He described their employees as “soldiers of Zionism and criminal America,” adding that they could even be considered part of a military target bank.

 

Shekari also accused the outlets of contributing to the spread of violence around the world. He argued that the primary role of the media should be to promote security and protect the psychological well-being of people and societies, whereas, in his view, the outlets he criticized have instead contributed to promoting and expanding violence.

 

He said that despite the technological and financial advantages of Iran’s adversaries, what he called the “media of the Islamic Revolution” would ultimately prevail because it operates “under divine protection.”

 

Shekari concluded by stressing the need for broader engagement with global public opinion. He said Iran could not confront what he described as the enemy’s media campaign solely in Persian, arguing that it should communicate with people around the world in different languages and through various platforms in order to present its account of alleged crimes and developments.