Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 12
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has called the university students "officers of the soft war," Iran's Fars news agency reported on Feb. 12.
"Soft war" is a term used by Iranian officials to refer to the cultural invasion and "soft intelligence" tactics used by foreign countries deemed hostile.
In a written massage to Islamic Association of Independent Students meeting, Khameni has invited the students to be fully ready for soft war.
The soft war arena needs insight and endurance, he said in the message, inviting the students to use all their capacity to confront the hegemonic system.
"Understand and analyze all goals and strategies of the hegemonic system," Khamenei remarked.
Iran's Supreme Leader has on many occasions warned against "enemies' soft-war plots" against Iran's resolve towards progress.
In November 2009, he underlined the necessity for proper measures to repel enemy's soft war against Iran.
"Today, the main priority of the country is to confront (enemy's) soft warfare which is aimed at creating doubt, discord and pessimism among the masses of the people," Khamenei said.
On Oct. 23, Iranian media outlets quoted deputy Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Massoud Jazayeri as announcing establishment of "soft war" headquarters across the country.
"We are launching soft war headquarters in all provinces throughout the country," Jazayeri said, adding that "intelligent confrontation with the enemy is one of the main objectives of this move."
Jazayeri pointed to soft war as one of the most important topics of the day, and said, "different dimensions of soft war should be identified by the (domestic) media followed by tough action to repel and defuse such invasions."