Iran’s minister hails artists’ unity as ‘national asset’
Iran’s Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Abbas Salehi on Thursday praised what he called the “unexpected” national unity shown during the recent 12-day conflict with Israel, describing the public solidarity and artists’ response as a “national asset” that must be preserved.
Speaking in Tehran during a meeting with members of the House of Cinema, Salehi said the war marked a rare moment in Iran’s modern history. “It was a completely unexpected national defense. Israel thought it could quickly bring Iran to its knees,” he told the gathering, according to the ministry’s Public Relations Center, ILNA reported.
“They forgot the Iranian people. Their perception was based on dissidents’ statements and flawed surveys,” he said, adding that such unity cannot be “fabricated overnight” in nations with short historical roots.
Salehi commended artists for stepping in “without orders or directives,” arguing their engagement reflected Iran’s social strength. “Enemies might have counted on celebrities siding with them, but they became the people’s senior officers in this 12-day resistance,” he said.
Addressing filmmakers directly, Salehi warned that without Iran’s own narrative, “executioner and martyr will switch places” in global perception. “The world of tomorrow is the world of images, and cinema creates that world. A two-minute clip can do the work of a two-hour speech,” he said, urging artists to produce works that portray the national experience accurately.
He stressed that Israel spends vast sums to make its narrative dominant internationally, and called on Iranian cinema to counter such campaigns. “Even if you are upset with officials, don’t abandon Iran. This country is a millennia-old trust,” he said.