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

Iranian state television has faced criticism and protests for cutting off a broadcast interview with the country’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also Tehran’s chief negotiator in talks with the United States. The protest against the broadcast cut was lodged by the parliament’s media centre, which accused the state broadcaster, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), of failing to coordinate with them. “This discussion was submitted to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) more than two hours before the broadcast time; however, unfortunately, the airing of this discussion was stopped midway,” read a statement of protest from the parliament’s media centre. “The discussion had been recorded, and the minimum step IRIB officials should have taken was to coordinate with the parliament’s media centre if they decided not to air a portion of the discussion, which contravenes procedure,” the statement added. IRIB, in its statement, argued that the interview was divided into two parts, with the second part scheduled to be broadcast on Wednesday evening. The parliament’s media centre noted that the cut segments covered topics including inspections by the United Nations nuclear watchdog, 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 preliminary agreement signed by Tehran and Washington to end the conflict. Last month, a presenter on Iranian state television called for the closure of Mehrabad Airport in Tehran to prevent the Iranian negotiating team from travelling to Switzerland for talks with the US delegation. Critics argue that Iran rushed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz—thus allowing the flow of oil through the strategic waterway—without securing any tangible benefits from the memorandum of understanding with the US. In the interview with Iranian state television aired on Tuesday, Ghalibaf argued that the memorandum of understanding had enabled Iran to sell its oil, as the US had lifted its blockade of Tehran’s ports. “From the day the blockade was lifted until now, we have exported more than 40 million barrels of oil,” Ghalibaf said. “In contrast, during the preceding period of 50 to nearly 60 days, we were completely unable to export a single barrel of oil,” he stated.