Iranian State TV Abruptly Cuts Off Interview with Parliament Speaker, Sparking Protest

Iranian state television has drawn criticism and protests after cutting a broadcast interview with the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagber Ghalibaf, who also serves as Tehran’s chief negotiator in talks with the United States (US).

Protests against the cutting of the interview, as reported by AFP on Wednesday (1/7/2026), were launched by the Iranian parliament’s media centre, which accused the state broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), of failing to coordinate with them.

“This discussion was handed over to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) more than two hours before the scheduled broadcast time; however, unfortunately, the airing of this discussion was interrupted midway,” stated the protest from the parliamentary media centre.

“In fact, the discussion had been recorded, and the minimum step IRIB officials should have taken was to coordinate with the parliamentary media centre if they decided not to air parts of the discussion that contravene procedure,” the statement added.

In its response, IRIB claimed that the interview was split into two parts, with the second part scheduled to air on Wednesday (1/7) evening.

The Iranian parliamentary media centre noted that the omitted segments included topics regarding inspections by United Nations (UN) nuclear watchdog agencies, Tehran’s frozen assets, and a US$300 billion reconstruction credit.

Many hardliners in Iran, including members of parliament and conservative media figures, have criticised the initial agreement signed between Tehran and Washington to end the conflict.

Last month, an Iranian state television presenter called for the closure of Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport to prevent the Iranian negotiating team from travelling to Switzerland for talks with the US delegation.

Critics argue that Iran is rushing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz—allowing oil flow through the strategic waterway—without securing any tangible benefits from the memorandum of understanding with the US.

In the interview aired on Iranian state television on Tuesday (30/6), Ghalibaf argued that the memorandum of understanding has enabled Iran to sell its oil, as the US has lifted its blockade on Tehran’s ports.

“Since the blockade was lifted until now, we have exported more than 40 million barrels of oil,” said Ghalibaf.

“In contrast, during the 50 to nearly 60 days prior, we were completely unable to export a single barrel of oil,” he added.