TEHRAN - Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Tuesday that “sanctions” and “distortion” are two serious challenges to the Islamic Republic, emphasizing the need for win over the economic and media warfare against the country.

"Sanctions and distortion are two serious wars against the Islamic Revolution, but we must win against the enemies," Qalibaf said during a ceremony marking the memory of Brigadier General Hamedani who was martyred while commanding the war against terrorists in Syria. 

"Over forty years after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, we have gone through many pressures and threats, and from the Sacred Defense until today, we have seen the animosity of the enemies at its peak," said Qalibaf.

Sacred Defense refers to Iran’s resistance against the invading Saddam Army in the 1980s.

The senior legislator noted that the enemies have been seeking to overthrow the Islamic Republic, but today the Iranian nation has been able to do great things.

"The enemies are in war with us in various ways. Today we are involved in economic war and media war and our front line is here. I and many Iranians believe that media warfare is more effective than economic warfare, and even to succeed in economic warfare, we must succeed in media warfare," the Speaker stated.

"We are witnessing distortions against the revolution, Sacred Defense and various other areas, where there is also the enemy's media war. Sanctions and distortions are two serious wars against the Islamic Revolution, but we must win against them," suggested Qalibaf, a former mayor of Tehran. 

He pointed out: "We have belief because we adhere to the divine teachings, we will be a definite winner." 

Qalibaf said despite all these pressures the Iranian nation has witnessed that the Islamic system has survived.

“Islamic Republic has broken American hegemony”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the speaker of the parliament noted that today the Islamic Republic has not only maintained its survival powerfully and become a regional power, it has also broken the American hegemony in the region.

He added: "… those who are analysts, commentators, thinkers and logicians should speak, and especially clarify the issue of Afghanistan, which raises some questions as to why Iran's strategic depth is in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, but not in Kabul and Panjshir; therefore, explaining this issue is important for the society and the youth to know our strategy."

Qalibaf went on to say that modern society is full of pluralism and there are many people with different and similar views.

"These people should analyze the issues properly so that there is no doubt about the origin of the path, but of course there is a different critique and approach in any area but if the beliefs change and the revolution is distorted, we must stand against it."