Iran’s official propaganda habitually depicts all the kings of Persia, particularly emperors of the Sassanian Empire that was defeated by invading Arab armies between 632 and 651, as tyrants. However, since Saudi-financed “Desert Warrior” reportedly depicts Sasanian Emperor Khosrow Parviz as a tyrant, Javad Moharrami, a cultural columnist at Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps mouthpiece Javan newspaper, dismissed the film as “ahistorical” and an attempt at “historical revisionism.” Moharrami’s column illustrates Iran’s difficulties reconciling pride of Iranians in the glory of ancient Persia; defeat to Arab armies and conversion to Islam; and managed strategic rivalry with present day Saudi Arabia.

• August 28: Commenting on the Saudi-financed film “Desert Warrior,” which has yet to be screened, Moharrami wrote in Javan:
  • “By using a team of prominent Hollywood actors, Saudi Arabia has produced the movie ‘Desert Warrior,’ which provides a controversial account of the reason behind the war between Persia and Arabs in the Sassanian era … According to the official information available, this movie is about a mysterious rogue, who … ends up as the enemy of Khosrow Parviz, emperor of Persia under the Sassanians.”
  • “The ahistorical story of the movie begins with Persian Emperor Khosrow Parviz, played by Ben Kingsley, demanding Al-Nu’man III, Lakhmid king of al-Hirah, played by Ghassan Massoud, to surrender his daughter to him … As Al-Nu’man refuses to do so, Khosrow Parviz condemns him to death, after which Hind, daughter of Al-Nu’man, unifies Arab tribes and deals a heavy loss on the Sassanids in the Battle of Dhi Qar.”
  • “The movie ‘Desert Warrior,’ which was produced by Saudi Arabia with an exorbitant budget, is an attempt at controversial historical revisionism and provides an Arab interpretation of ancient Persia.”