The head of the Islamic Republic's Interests Office in Washington claimed in a phone call with the overseas 'elections' headquarters that a VOA journalist attempted to cancel this government voting in the U.S., and for this reason, the office has filed a complaint against VOA. Abolfazl Mehrabadi, the head of the Islamic Republic's Interests Office in Washington, stated: 'Unfortunately, a VOA journalist contacted the hotel and threatened, asking why a country under sanctions allowed elections.' He further stated, 'We have hired a lawyer and filed a complaint against them [VOA].' This claim comes while the legal department of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, of which VOA is a part, has not received any such complaint regarding the voting to determine a successor to Raisi as of the time of this report. Mehrabadi also claimed that there is 'great enthusiasm' among 'compatriots residing' for participating in the 'elections,' but opponents he referred to as 'hostile agents' attempted to influence the voting with their 'activities.' Meanwhile, one of the main operators of the voting offices in Los Angeles, who has a history of clashes with opponents in the first round, threatened a VOA Persian section journalist in Los Angeles while taking a photo of him, stating, 'We have business with these people.' While Mehrabadi described the voting as enthusiastic, field reports from VOA journalists indicated that the government voting on July 8 and 15, 1403 (2024) saw very few Iranian residents in the U.S. participating, with the number of visitors to designated polling places being minimal. The government voting to determine a successor to Ebrahim Raisi, which placed Masoud Pezeshkian in the presidency, was met with widespread boycotts and a lack of support from a significant portion of society. The statistics announced by the government regarding the results of this voting have been met with skepticism from critics and opponents. This news was updated on July 9, 1403 (2024).
Islamic Republic's Interests Office in Washington: We Filed a Complaint Against VOA Regarding 'Elections'
The Islamic Republic's Interests Office in Washington has filed a complaint against VOA, claiming that a journalist attempted to disrupt government elections in the U.S. Mehrabadi asserts that there is significant enthusiasm among Iranians abroad for participation, despite reports indicating low turnout. This situation highlights ongoing tensions between the Iranian government and opposition voices abroad.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Iran's Interests Office in Washington filed a complaint against VOA over alleged election interference.
- Islamic Republic's Interests Office in Washington file VOA
- operator of voting offices in Los Angeles threaten VOA Persian section journalist
- Abolfazl Mehrabadi claim VOA
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Iranian government is actively trying to suppress dissenting voices during elections.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%