TEHRAN - Iran has observed National Reporter Day by remembering the martyrdom anniversary of an Iranian journalist and eight diplomats who lost their lives in a Taliban terrorist attack in the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif in 1988.

On August 8, 1998, the Taliban stormed the Iranian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif killing journalist Mahmoud Saremi and the eight diplomats. The carnage drew condemnations from all around the world.

Iran has since declared August 8 as National Reporter Day.

In a statement released Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry paid respect to the “martyrs of the terrorist attack.”

The ministry further stated that clarifying the dimensions of the bitter and unforgettable attack is a definite demand.

The statement emphasized that the attack violated moral, humanitarian, and international standards.

The Tuesday statement also emphasized the need to establish an inclusive government in Afghanistan that would represent all ethnic groups and bring peace and advancement to the war-torn country.

Also on Tuesday, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, the Iranian Foreign Minister, in a post on his Instagram stressed that both journalists and diplomats care about “national interests and national security.”

Amir Abdollahian emphasized the crucial role that media professionals and journalists play and said that the Foreign Ministry welcomes more engagement with them.