Iran on Monday launched its first 24-hour English-language television channel in order to confront what it said of Western dominance over the world media.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who inaugurated the new Press TV at the capital city of Tehran, said the channel had a duty "to reveal what goes on behind the scenes of the propaganda news networks of mankind's enemies."

"The media are used by the domineering powers to occupy lands and people's hearts," he added, promising that the new channel would "stand by the oppressed."

"The channel should stand beside the oppressed nations of the world but not make news up in their favor," said the president, according to the website of the channel.

The channel, which has a total of more than 400 staff ( including both Iranians and foreigners), had 26 reporters employed at different locations worldwide, including Washington, New York, London, Beirut and Damascus, Abuja, Istanbul, Basra and many other strategic cities in the world, according to its website.

Press TV officials have said the channel features twice-hourly news bulletins, talk shows and documentaries on aspects of the Islamic world, adding the channel seeks to take on the famous established TV channels, such as BBC and CNN, but obviously with an Iranian spin.

Source: Xinhua