Reactions in Iran to Russia's aggression against Ukraine; Ali Motahari: IRIB reports like a Russian colony
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked widespread reactions among Iranian social media users. Many users, however, shared their displeasure by criticizing the stance of the Islamic Republic's government and official media towards these developments.
Ali Motahari, a former member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, was among those who criticized this official Iranian position, recalling "the separation of Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia from Iran by Russia and the Soviet support for Saddam in attacking Iran," and called for Iran to maintain its independence in taking positions.
Ali Motahari tweeted that Iran should “condemn Russia’s aggression against Ukraine” to demonstrate its independence. Motahari also criticized the position of the Islamic Republic’s official media, writing that “currently, the Iranian Broadcasting Corporation is reporting the news like a Russian colony.”
Journalist Amir Ebtehaj also tweeted and criticized the way the Islamic Republic Radio and Television reports and the literature used on the Islamic Republic Radio.
Tasnim News Agency, a media outlet close to the Revolutionary Guards, published videos of Russian squadrons flying under the headline “Heavy presence of Russian fighter jets and bombers in the skies over Ukraine,” prompting a denial from the Russian embassy in Tehran. The Russian embassy described the news as “fake” and “anti-Russian propaganda” in a tweet, attaching a screenshot of the videos.
Journalist Maryam Shokrani found the Russian Embassy's reaction to this Tasnim news to be implicitly thought-provoking and tweeted: "When flattery backfires!"
Civil activist Shima Babaei, however, criticized the crooked and corrupt policies of Western countries, stating that "the people of Afghanistan and Ukraine are suffering from the West's appeasement of terrorists and political bullies," and tweeted that "this conservative policy brings nothing but war, killing, and displacement for the homeless people, and sooner or later it will also affect the West."
