Today, social networks, video platforms, messaging channels, and digital media have become new battlegrounds for cognitive warfare and persuasive operations. In this landscape, military public relations must transcend traditional information dissemination and assume a strategic role in shaping public perception, countering psychological operations by adversaries, and establishing media deterrence.
In recent years, social media has emerged as one of the most influential tools in shaping public opinion. Characteristics such as rapid dissemination, emotional impact, and the capacity to mobilize the public during crises have elevated the strategic importance of these platforms in national security equations. Neglecting professional and targeted engagement in these arenas means ceding the narrative space to hostile actors. In security crises or military conflicts, even a few minutes of delay in releasing an official narrative can severely damage public trust and pave the way for rumor propagation and media distortions.
Accordingly, upholding the principles of speed, accuracy, and coherence in information dissemination by military and security institutions is a key pillar in creating indirect deterrence. Inadequate communication, delayed official responses, or media silence can lead to consequences such as public distrust, diminished military credibility, and the strengthening of enemy psychological operations. Military public relations must, through behavioral data analysis and continuous monitoring of public discourse, respond in real-time while also being predictive and forward-looking in anticipating and managing events.
One of the critical priorities in this regard is empowering public relations personnel within military institutions. Based on operational feedback from recent months during the Iran-Israel conflict, a significant portion of these personnel may not have received specialized training relevant to current media developments—such as advanced media literacy, crisis communication skills, public opinion analysis, digital storytelling techniques, and algorithmic dynamics of social networks. In the age of cognitive warfare and soft power battles, this shortfall poses a serious threat to the cohesion and effectiveness of the armed forces’ communication systems. Military PR officers must be trained on par with intelligence and operations officers and must engage in the media battlefield with the same level of readiness and expertise as their comrades on the ground.
In addition to cultivating specialized human resources, establishing a knowledge-based and institutionalized organizational structure in the field of defense communications is an undeniable necessity. This structure should be responsible for the constant monitoring of domestic and international media landscapes and be equipped with intelligent data analytics systems, real-time public opinion polling tools, and professional multimedia content production capabilities. Military public relations should not be treated merely as an operational or ceremonial unit, but rather as a central command for communications and public opinion management.
Today, military PR no longer merely handles media inquiries or covers military drills. It is responsible for shaping, reproducing, and solidifying a national and international image of the country’s defense capabilities. This image must be constructed through scientific media language, persuasive communication techniques, and advanced communication technologies, and be intelligently disseminated both nationally and globally.
Given the widespread distribution of fake news, distorted content, and organized rumors across social networks by various hostile entities, the formation of specialized defense content production units within military institutions is urgently needed. These units should work alongside media experts, security psychologists, and digital creatives to design and disseminate strategic defense messages tailored to the language and preferences of target audiences, thereby enabling the official narrative to prevail over harmful counter-narratives.
A vivid example of this media battlefield emerged during the recent Iran-Israel conflict. While the domestic public was initially in shock, some foreign actors leveraged artificial intelligence tools, fake imagery, fabricated news, and calculated narratives to undermine Iran’s military reputation. The lack of swift response and effective storytelling by certain institutions highlighted once again the pressing need for a coherent military PR structure and a centralized narrative command system.
Global experience confirms the importance of this issue. The United States, through its multilayered communication structure in the Pentagon; Israel, with its renowned Hasbara unit and digital army; and even China, with its vast network of coordinated platforms both domestically and abroad, have all demonstrated that modern warfare is unmanageable without a command structure for communication and media. These countries not only control domestic public opinion but actively shape the international perception of their military power.
A National Narrative Command Center Must Be Established
In this context, it is proposed that Iran move toward establishing a “National Narrative Command Center” under the General Staff of the Armed Forces or the Supreme National Security Council. This center should be tasked with coordinating media officers, producing strategic content, defining information red lines, and developing indigenous technologies for countering psychological warfare. Such an entity, modeled after successful international examples and leveraging the capabilities of national and specialized media, can address the current gaps in managing the country’s defense narrative.
Alongside official military institutions, many countries today also host private companies and specialized agencies in the fields of public relations, marketing, and defense communications. These firms often play complementary or even pioneering roles in defense storytelling. By combining domain expertise in military affairs, advanced digital advertising skills, and an understanding of defense markets, they offer services such as strategic content production, media campaign design, white paper drafting and publishing, social media management, and implementation of international PR programs for defense firms, contractors, and government agencies.
One leading example is the UK-based agency Defence Media, which is recognized as a pioneer in defense marketing, advertising, and public relations. This company offers services ranging from strategic communication planning, technical military content creation, SEO optimization for defense websites, digital data analytics, and social media platform management to a wide range of large defense firms, innovative SMEs, and emerging startups. Adapting such models in Iran could contribute significantly to enhancing defense equipment exports, strengthening military diplomacy, and constructing a global narrative of the nation’s defense capabilities.
Milad Zarei
Researcher in Communications and Media Studies
