Who owns the outlets that report on Iran
Every outlet Artesh reads, grouped by who owns or funds it, with the label Artesh attaches to its reporting. Ownership is public record; it tells you the outlet's position, not whether a given story is true.
Iranian state media (6)
IRNA
Iran's official state news agency.
Press TV
Iran's state-owned English-language broadcaster (IRIB).
Shana shana.ir
The news agency of Iran's Petroleum Ministry.
Tehran Times
A state-owned English-language Iranian daily.
Iran Daily
A state-owned English-language daily published by IRNA.
IRIB
Iran's state broadcaster.
Iranian state-linked media (12)
Tasnim tasnimnews.com
A news agency affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).
Fars
A news agency affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guards (IRGC).
Kayhan
A hardline daily whose editor is appointed by Iran's Supreme Leader.
Mehr
A semi-official Iranian news agency.
ISNA
A semi-official Iranian news agency (Iranian Students News Agency).
YJC yjc.ir
A news site affiliated with Iran's state broadcaster IRIB.
Hamshahri
A daily owned by the Tehran municipality.
Tabnak
A news site close to former IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaei.
Khabar Online
A news site close to Ali Larijani.
ILNA
The Iranian Labour News Agency, a semi-official outlet.
Nour News
An outlet affiliated with Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
Mashregh
A hardline Iranian news site close to the IRGC.
Iranian private media (3)
Donya-e-Eqtesad
A private Iranian economic daily.
Eghtesad Online
A private Iranian economic news site.
EcoIran
A private Iranian economic news site.
International wires and press (4)
Reuters reuters.com
International wire agency, owned by Thomson Reuters (Canada/UK). Bureau coverage of Iran from Dubai and elsewhere; no bureau in Tehran since 2012..
Associated Press apnews.com
US not-for-profit news cooperative. Has a Tehran bureau..
AFP afp.com
French international news agency, partly state-funded through a statutory arrangement. Has a Tehran bureau..
Al-Monitor al-monitor.com
Washington-based Middle East news site, privately owned..
Publicly funded international broadcasters (4)
BBC Persian bbc.com/persian
Persian-language service of the BBC, funded by the UK licence fee (formerly the Foreign Office). Banned from operating in Iran; staff and families have faced harassment, per BBC statements..
Radio Farda radiofarda.com
Persian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, funded by the US Congress through the US Agency for Global Media..
VOA Persian ir.voanews.com
Persian service of Voice of America, US-government funded; operations reduced in 2025 under US administration cuts..
Al Jazeera aljazeera.com
Qatari state-funded broadcaster; Qatar has close relations with Iran..
Diaspora channels (1)
Iran International iranintl.com
London-based Persian and English channel and site, launched 2017. Independent of the Iranian state; its funding has been the subject of reporting (The Guardian, 2018, on Saudi-linked backing, which the channel's owners dispute). Iran designates it a terrorist organisation..
Opposition advocacy outlets (MEK family) (5)
NCRI ncr-iran.org
The political wing of the MEK (Mojahedin-e Khalq), an exiled Iranian opposition group.
PMOI/MEK mojahedin.org
The MEK's own outlet (Mojahedin-e Khalq, an exiled Iranian opposition group).
Iran Focus iranfocus.com
An outlet affiliated with the MEK (Mojahedin-e Khalq), an exiled Iranian opposition group.
Iran News Update
An outlet affiliated with the MEK (Mojahedin-e Khalq), an exiled Iranian opposition group.
Iran HRM iran-hrm.com
A human-rights monitor affiliated with the MEK (Mojahedin-e Khalq).
Other (1)
Iran Herald iranherald.com
English-language Iran news site; ownership not stated on the site..
Iranian outlets' affiliations are from Artesh's source registry, used on every article; international outlets' ownership from their own published statements and standard references, October 2026. Corrections: contact.
Questions people ask
What is the most reliable source for Iran news?
No single one. Iranian state outlets report what the government says and does inside the country, often first; international wires verify and add context but have little access; diaspora and opposition outlets carry protest and dissident news the state suppresses, with their own agendas. Artesh's approach is to show both sides of each day, with every outlet labelled by who owns it, in the daily brief and the claims tracker.
Is Press TV state media?
Yes. Press TV is the English-language channel of IRIB, Iran's state broadcaster, whose head is appointed by the Supreme Leader. Artesh labels it so on every item.
Are Tasnim and Fars independent?
No. Both are news agencies affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They are often first with security news and are labelled "IRGC-affiliated" throughout Artesh.
Who funds Iran International?
The London-based channel says it is independent and funded by its owners, Volant Media. A 2018 Guardian investigation reported funding links to a Saudi national close to the Saudi court, which the company disputes. Iran's government designates it a terrorist organisation and has, per UK police, plotted against its journalists. Artesh labels it an opposition-leaning diaspora outlet.
Why does Artesh label the MEK outlets differently?
NCRI, Iran Focus, Iran News Update and Iran HRM are outlets of one exiled political organisation, the Mojahedin-e Khalq. Their reporting is advocacy for that organisation, so Artesh excludes it from "international" coverage and tags it as MEK-affiliated when quoted — the same rule that tags Tasnim as IRGC-affiliated.
How is Artesh different from these outlets?
Artesh does not report; it reads 26+ outlets in Persian and English every day, translates the Iranian ones, labels each by ownership and sets the two accounts of each story side by side. Its own words are limited to the sourced daily note and the comparisons; everything else is a dated, attributed headline.
Related: What Iranian state media is saying today · Claims tracker · Editorial policy