Tehran: Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has appreciated the coverage of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) during the US-Israeli-imposed war on Iran, calling the media outlet a forerunner of national unity and cohesion. In an official letter of gratitude, addressed to IRNA's employees on Wednesday, Ghalibaf commended the agency's round-the-clock reporting on events making headlines at home and abroad, following an unprovoked US-Israeli war launched on the country on February 28.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, more than seventy days have passed since IRNA's presence in the arena, with Ghalibaf referring to the agency's field reporting during the war as a decisive and historic battle for beloved Iran. He emphasized that the firmness of IRNA's staff proves that Iran is an inseparable part of their noble existence and that they stand forever for the sake of their country, the Islamic establishment, as well as for the ideals of Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, and the blood of martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

The top parliamentarian underscored that the war, undoubtedly, encompassed all areas - from streets to squares of cities and towns, from the economy to health and energy - but the media was at the front line. Calling media personnel heroes and messengers of unity, Ghalibaf noted that they, following the orders of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, heralded national unity and cohesion.

Ghalibaf further stated that the struggle of media personnel is no less than that of soldiers on the battlefield in protecting the path of the great martyrs of the Third Imposed War. He expressed pride in living in a country where every citizen is a soldier for the homeland. Ghalibaf concluded his message by wishing success and courage for the news agency and its employees, calling them soldiers of the arena of enlightenment.