The Proud Voice and Vision of Iran; Standing Tall or Broken?

Mohammad Sarafraz was appointed as the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) by the Supreme Leader, succeeding Ezzatollah Zarghami. In his first official statement after taking office, during the farewell session for Zarghami, Sarafraz articulated a significant part of his perspective and his reliance on the Supreme Leader, stating: "America militarily occupied Iraq and Afghanistan, and through the strategies devised in the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially under the guidance of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution, this military invasion was defeated. Their ploy in this regard within the country was the 2009 sedition, which aimed to overthrow the government based on the people's votes." This does not mean that the new president will not influence the output of the extensive IRIB organization. Some personal and character traits of Sarafraz predict certain changes in the official radio and television of the regime. However, the important aspect of the matter is the extent and ceiling of these changes. A look at Sarafraz's record and the actual position of the national media refines the assessment. Sarafraz, born in 1961, is the son of Abolfazl Sarafraz, a cleric close to the Islamic Republic Party and the representative of the Supreme Leader in the Islamic Republic of Iran Air. Two of his brothers died in the aftermath of the revolution and are officially considered "martyrs" in the Islamic Republic. His older brother (Javad) was the head of Seyyed Mohammad Beheshti's office and was killed alongside him in the bombing of the Islamic Republic Party's office in 1981. Another brother of Sarafraz (Ali) also fell victim in the war with Iraq. Sarafraz, who is related by marriage to Saeed Amani, a founding member of the Islamic Coalition Party, has a serious ideological alignment with the "traditional right." He worked at the Resalat newspaper at one point (in the early 1980s). After Ali Larijani moved from the Ministry of Culture to IRIB, Sarafraz was invited by Mohammad Javad Larijani from the editorial board of Resalat to IRIB, where he served as the Deputy for International Affairs. He, who holds a PhD in political science from the University of Beirut as a "flying student," made gradual and significant changes to the structure of the international affairs department of IRIB. This section became equipped with computers, and the news reception and translation system underwent transformation. From the mid-1990s, the internet was utilized in this section (even before the political department of IRIB), marking a significant change in the international news sector. Sarafraz then led a team of experts to launch the "Al-Alam" network, the first 24-hour Arabic news channel in Iran and the Middle East, which was inaugurated in 2001. Using the experience gained from "Al-Alam," the "Press TV" network was also launched in English in 2007. The "iFilm" network was established in 2010, which was considered innovative in competition with satellite channels. The films from this network were later broadcast in Arabic as well. IRIB also established and activated the "Namayesh" and "Tamasha" networks, imitating "iFilm." In addition to launching numerous radio channels, Sarafraz was also the founder of the "Hispan TV" network, which broadcasts programs in Spanish for Latin American audiences. These radio and television networks, in competition with foreign channels, inevitably crossed some of the regime's red lines. Sarafraz is known for being "centralized" and for having a "top-down approach" and "weak positive interaction with others"; although he involves young people in his projects, he centrally controls all powers. He is also a critic of the excessive expansion of IRIB and believes in the downsizing of the national media. However, it is unlikely that he will be able to meaningfully reduce the army that has gathered in the state media over the years, which numbers around 50,000. Sarafraz is also critical of the way news is broadcast on IRIB. From this perspective, changes in the political department of this organization are not out of the question if the new president has enough strength and courage. However, in an important observation, the new head of IRIB is known for his belief in the absolute guardianship of the jurist and the leadership of the political system. Some informed sources believe that, from this perspective, there may be fewer senior managers in IRIB like Sarafraz who see themselves, both overtly and covertly, as executors of the views of the system's first leader. Sarafraz is also known for having views close to "Kayhan" regarding the role of the West, specifically the United States. He holds a strongly anti-American stance and bizarrely believes in Washington's "conspiracy theory" across various fields. He manifested this in his first official speech, repeatedly referring to the negative role and "tricks" and "conspiracies" of the "enemy" (a favorite keyword of Ayatollah Khamenei) and specifically the U.S. in regional developments. Although he is not a member of any party or organization, he can be fully categorized within the discourse of "conservatives/principlists"; he is also considered a serious opponent of the Green Movement; as Zarghami stated: "He shone brightly during the events of 2009 and successfully carried out his missions." Specifically, as an important witness, Press TV aired forced confessions of detainees following the 2009 presidential election and the subsequent show trials, a behavior that not only tarnished the professional credibility of this network but also led to the cancellation of its broadcasting rights in Europe, a heavy financial penalty for it (over $156,000), and Sarafraz's name being placed on the EU sanctions list since 2012 as one of the human rights violators in Iran. The extent and ceiling of the maneuvering of the head of IRIB According to the constitution, the appointment and dismissal of the head of the IRIB is under the authority of the system's leadership. Additionally, there is an entity called the "Supervisory Council of the IRIB," consisting of representatives from the three branches of government (executive, judicial, and legislative) that oversees the performance of the official media of the Islamic Republic. Currently, Ebrahim Raisi, the Attorney General and a long-standing and experienced deputy of the judiciary, heads this entity. The government nature of the national media in Iran, the selection of its head by the system's leadership, and the lack of competing private media in the radio and television sector eliminate the hope for a significant and serious change in favor of democracy and human rights in the output of IRIB. Even in the most optimistic view, it cannot be imagined that the head of the IRIB would have full control over this unrivaled media empire within the borders of Iran. Regardless of Sarafraz's loyalty and belief in the Supreme Leader, the core of power in the Islamic Republic has turned IRIB into one of the important tools for reproducing its undemocratic authority and is engaged in distorting the truth and disseminating its ideology. Thus, any "decentralizing" action that contradicts the frameworks of the authoritarian regime will be criticized and held accountable. This is independent of Sarafraz's record and background, which he has relied upon to be appointed to this important position. In other words, he is the "trustee of the Supreme Leader" in the media and propaganda arm of the government based on the absolute guardianship of the jurist. Perhaps due to Sarafraz's background in the foreign sector, some social and cultural red lines in IRIB may undergo reforms and adjustments, or there may be notable and visible changes in the form of program presentations, but the output committed to the official ideology and limited to the authoritarian regime will continue to flow. In other words, although the form of the most important political programs of IRIB (including especially the news) may undergo repairs and reforms, there is no hope for a change in content in line with a commitment to truth and freedom of expression and the dissemination of diverse opinions. A media outlet that should be "national" also represents and embodies an important part of the political power structure and has effectively become "governmental"; it is predictable that the core of power in the Islamic Republic will control and guide it by any means. Thus, expecting IRIB to be proud under Sarafraz's leadership does not align with the current realities of the authoritarian regime based on absolute rule.