Hassan Dai, 4 December 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a>More than 200 radio and satellite TV stations, together with tens of newspapers and hundreds of websites constitute Iran\u2019s media empire across the Islamic world, predominantly in the Middle Eastern countries. A large number of these media outlets are affiliated with Iran\u2019s proxies and are under the direct control of Iranian Revolutionary Guards\u2019 Quds Force. This propaganda machine promotes the Iranian regime\u2019s fundamentalist ideology and plays a pivotal role in Iran\u2019s multi-pronged strategy to dominate the region.<\/p>\n

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In mid-October 2017, Ali Askari, director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB<\/a>) travelled<\/a> to Lebanon to visit the headquarters of IRIB\u2019s Arabic language TV stations in Beirut which broadcast via satellite across the Middle East. He also visited Hezbollah\u2019s Al Manar and Al Mayadeen TV stations where he vowed more support to these networks. Askari met<\/a> with Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah and \u201ccongratulated him for recent military victories of Iran-led axis of resistance in Iraq and Syria. Nasrallah underlined that media outlets of the Axis have played a major role in the victories.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lebanese based as well as more than 200 additional radio and TV stations, together with tens of newspapers and hundreds of websites constitute Iran\u2019s media empire across the Islamic world, predominantly in the Middle Eastern countries. They promote the Iranian regime\u2019s fundamentalist ideology and its hegemonic policies in the region. A large number of these media outlets are affiliated with Iran\u2019s proxy militias and pro-Tehran political organizations and are under the direct control of Iranian Revolutionary Guards\u2019 Quds Force.\u00a0 This propaganda machine plays a pivotal role in Iran\u2019s multi-pronged strategy to dominate in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Askari\u2019s visit to Lebanon took place at a time when IRGC\u2019s Quds Force and its proxy militias have made significant military gains in the region by taking control of strategic border crossings between Syria and Iraq, providing Iran with a land bridge from Tehran to the Mediterranean Sea. In this context, Iran aims to expand its network of television and radio stations and adopt its media empire to the new balance of power in the region.
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