TEHRAN – The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has warned of a Western-led cultural offensive aimed at eroding the country’s identity and values, vowing that the Islamic Republic will stand firm against external pressure in all its forms.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the 18th Resistance Film Festival in Tehran on Saturday, Major General Hossein Salami said Iran continues to face mounting military, political, and media pressure from foreign adversaries, but remains resolute.

"We see the enemy clearly—we hear its threats and witness its military deployments. Yet the more pressure it applies, the stronger and more united our people become," Salami said.

He described the confrontation not only as a geopolitical struggle but a civilizational one—a battle between “light and darkness,” where the West seeks to impose ignorance, cultural blindness, and dependency on other nations.

"Our enemies admit that their goal is to disconnect thought from action, to separate people from their identities and shape them according to their will," he noted. "They want us to follow their political agendas, worldviews, and fabricated ideals."

The IRGC chief called on Iranian artists to remain vigilant and use their craft to resist this pressure. He described resistance art as a form of national and cultural self-defense—art that preserves Iranian and Islamic values in the face of foreign influence.

"True art is born from the heart—it expands the human spirit and reflects the infinite depth of our identity. Resistance art protects us from being buried under the cultural rubble of our enemies," Salami said.

He stressed that the “culture of resistance” is a source of honor and dignity for the Iranian nation, one that empowers people to stand firm and reject humiliation, subjugation, and defeat.

"The enemy tries to make us ashamed of defending our beliefs. If we speak up for our values, we’re mocked; if we protect our sanctities, we’re accused," he said. "But we stand our ground. We know what truths we must defend to ensure our nation’s survival."