BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 25. Iran's presidency has accused the country's state broadcaster of censorship after comments made by President Masoud Pezeshkian were allegedly removed from a televised interview, prompting calls for greater political diversity in state media.
The controversy has led senior officials overseeing the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) to urge the broadcaster to better represent a wider range of political views within the country's approved political framework.
Mohammad Mirzaei, spokesperson for the supervisory council overseeing IRIB, said the national broadcaster should serve as "one of the symbols of national unity" and provide space for what he described as "reasonable figures" representing legally permitted political groups.
Mirzaei also called on IRIB's management to strengthen editorial oversight and take appropriate measures to prevent similar broadcasting disputes in the future.
The oversight body's remarks came after the office of President Masoud Pezeshkian complained that parts of the president's comments had been omitted from a televised interview broadcast by the state media organization.
The incident has renewed debate over editorial independence and political representation within Iran's state broadcasting system, which remains the country's primary public television and radio network.
