In recent years, the longstanding conflict between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Zionist regime has increasingly entered a cognitive phase, in which the goal is not territorial occupation but the conquest of minds and the transformation of the target population’s way of thinking. The main objective of this research is to analyze the media activism of Iranian political figures on Instagram during the 12 day war from the perspective of cognitive warfare. The research questions were structured around the main themes and content of their posts, including emotional, political, social, and activist components, as well as linguistic, stylistic, and symbolic features of political actors.The study employed a qualitative content analysis method. The statistical sample consisted of 55 Instagram posts (reels, stories, and live sessions) by political activists, selected through purposive sampling. The unit of analysis included all content produced within the 12 day war period, analyzed through open and axial coding. Findings revealed five main thematic statements: emotional human expressions (most frequent, 30.9%: sympathy with martyrs), political military stances (25.5%: condemnation of aggression), activist calls to action (18.2%: live coverage of gatherings), representation of victims (14.5%), and symbolic features (10.9%: “12 Day Narrative”).The results indicate that Instagram has become a battlefield of cognitive warfare, where Iranian activists strengthen national resilience against Zionist propaganda through counter visual narratives. The study suggests promoting cognitive literacy education, developing domestic anti propaganda platforms, and networking digital activists as key strategic recommendations.