Iran’s government spars with state TV as mediators push talks with US

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Iran’s government and state broadcaster IRIB are in a public dispute over coverage of possible negotiations with the United States, at a time when mediators are trying to keep diplomatic channels open. The Government Information Council accused IRIB on Friday of “censorship” for not airing parts of President Masoud Pezeshkian’s recent remarks. IRIB responded Saturday by rejecting what it called improper accusations and said it must avoid presenting a misleading image of division among Iran’s leadership.

According to the report, the omitted portion concerned Pezeshkian’s claim that after last year’s 12-day war with Israel, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly opposed talks with Washington but privately authorized the government to negotiate. The government also cited other recent edits involving parliament speaker and negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi separately criticized IRIB for limited coverage of his wartime interviews with US media, while defending a suspended memorandum of understanding with Washington.

The dispute reflects broader factional tensions in Tehran over diplomacy, wartime messaging and the authority of state institutions. The government accused a political faction inside the broadcaster of damaging unity, while IRIB argued that airing the disputed material could suggest a split. Al Jazeera also reported that an oversight committee spokesperson said IRIB directors had been warned to represent different views.

The row unfolded as Omani mediators visited Tehran to discuss the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway at the center of US-Iran tensions. Al Jazeera said US President Donald Trump acknowledged indirect talks but did not expect a near-term deal, while an Iranian security official said regional missile and drone operations would continue.