Iran government accuses state TV of censoring president's speech, broadcaster denies claim

Tehran’s government has formally charged the state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) with censoring portions of President Ebrahim Raisi’s recent address to the nation, alleging that the network omitted sections that dealt with economic reforms and foreign policy. The accusation was raised after the televised version of the speech, aired on national channels, failed to include remarks that had been circulated in the written transcript released by the presidential office. Officials from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance said the selective broadcast undermined the public’s right to full information and called for an internal review of IRIB’s editorial practices.

IRIB responded by rejecting the government’s claims, describing them as “improper attributions” and asserting that the broadcast adhered to established editorial guidelines. A spokesperson for the broadcaster emphasized that any discrepancies resulted from technical constraints and routine programming decisions, not deliberate suppression. Both sides have indicated that the matter will be examined by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, which oversees media regulation, to determine whether procedural violations occurred and to ensure compliance with national broadcasting standards.