Iranian Users React to Government Media’s Use of ‘Special Operation’ in Coverage of Ukraine Developments

Four days after Russia’s military attack on Ukraine and the continuation of worldwide reactions to this comprehensive aggression, media outlets of the Islamic Republic continue to attempt to perpetuate their anti-Western stance by ignoring the nature of Russia’s aggression and referring to this military assault as a “special operation.”

However, the reaction of the Iranian people differs significantly from the official government response regarding Russia’s military attack on Ukraine, and a group of Iranian social media users have reacted to the language used by official media outlets.

Hossein Razaq, an Iranian citizen active on social media, noting that Islamic Republic of Iran media outlets use terms such as “special operation” or “response to Ukrainian aggression” when reporting on Russia’s attack on Ukraine, wrote: “The head of government has also wished for this attack to benefit the region. It seems we’re living in one of Russia’s colonies.”

Sara Massoumi, a journalist, also responded to the use of words such as “special operation” in her Twitter post, addressing some Iranian journalists and reporters: “A journalist does not ask those in power to dictate which words I should use, dear colleague! Besides, Russia’s action is military aggression.”