Press TV

Iranian state

Background

Press TV launched on July 8, 2007, with a stated mission to offer an alternative to Western news outlets such as BBC World News and CNN International, particularly on Middle Eastern affairs. It is a division of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), an entity that has been under the direct authority of Iran's Supreme Leader since the 1989 constitutional revision. From its earliest years, the channel drew criticism from Western media regulators: the UK's Ofcom fined it £100,000 in 2011 for broadcasting a jailhouse interview with journalist Maziar Bahari that Ofcom found was conducted under duress, and in July 2012 Ofcom revoked Press TV's UK broadcasting license after determining that editorial control resided in Tehran rather than with the London-based licensee. European satellite operator Eutelsat dropped Press TV from its platform in October 2012 on orders from the European Commission. In June 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice seized its presstv.com domain as part of a broader action against Iranian state media. Australia, Canada, and the European Union subsequently imposed sanctions on Press TV in connection with its airing of forced confessions following the 2022 protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. Media analysts and fact-checkers consistently rate Press TV as a promoter of Iranian government propaganda, anti-Western narratives, and conspiracy theories, with poor sourcing standards. With the U.S. conducting military strikes against Iranian nuclear sites beginning in 2025, Press TV's editorial posture toward the Trump administration is sharply adversarial, reflecting the Iranian government's position in the ongoing conflict.

Sources

1. Press TV – Wikipedia
2. Press TV – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
3. State Hate: How Iran's Press TV Uses Social Media to Promote Anti-Jewish Hatred – ADL
4. Ofcom revokes Press TV's UK licence – Press Gazette
5. Ofcom Revocation Document – Press TV Limited
6. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting – United Against Nuclear Iran
7. Press TV – OpenSanctions
8. Iran launches 'alternative' news – CNN (2007)

Profile compiled 2026-07-03; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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