Speaking at a ceremony held in Tehran to celebrate the championship of the Defense Ministry’s karate team in recent Asian military games, Brigadier General Hatami hailed the team’s achievement as “valuable”.
“While the enemies constantly seek to weaken the national morale and the (Iranian) youths’ self-confidence via soft wars and psychological operations, earning sports successes by the youths will increase the hope and joy in the hearts of our dear people,” he said.
“Winning the championship in domestic competitions is very valuable but gaining top positions in international competitions at a time when all efforts of the enemy have been focused on undermining the national power of Islamic Iran, is of great importance…,” the defense minister went on to say.
In similar remarks in August 2018, Iran’s highest-ranking commander said the country is faced with a huge soft war.
After realizing their plots to harm Iran militarily would get nowhere, the enemies have instead waged an extensive soft war against the country, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri said at the time.