According to IRNA, he made the remarks in a meeting with the family of Mahmoud Saremi which took place on the occasion of ˈReporters Dayˈ.

Iran has designated August 8 as ‘Reporters Day’ to pay tribute to its correspondent, the 30-year-old Saremi, who was martyred by Taliban in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, in 1998.

Referring to the martyrdom of Saremi, President Rouhani said Saremi and his fellows were martyred as they were fulfilling their correspondence and political mission.

Rouhani said the way they were martyred rings the alarm for all because the terrorism threatening the region is a pure barbarism.

He stressed that the savage nature of the terrorists who claim to be advocating Islam and Jihad is becoming far clearer with passage of time.

He added such terrorist acts are part of plots hatched to tarnish the true image of Islam and Jihad and create rift among the Muslims.

Rouhani also said that the government is determined to create two-way communications with press and media.

He asserted that his administration welcomed media and press criticism.