As the U.S. Congress begins debate on the Iran nuclear agreement, viewers in Iran will receive the most complete and unfiltered coverage of the deal from Voice of America. VOA's Persian service will be carrying wall-to-wall coverage of the debate and activities surrounding the debate, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Iran time (9 a.m. Eastern time/1300 UTC) Tuesday.
Media in Iran are tightly censored and viewing of satellite-delivered television and Internet content from VOA is prohibited. But with a weekly measured audience of 20% of households inside Iran, VOA is a credible counterpoint to the one-sided, anti-U.S. message from Iranian state television.
"By providing special coverage in the Persian language, viewers in Iran will be able to see for themselves the concerns and hopes people in the U.S. have about the nuclear weapons agreement," said Setareh Derakhshesh, VOA Persian Director. "The amount of interest in Iran has been unprecedented, and by offering continuous coverage on television and web that features expert analysis and the U.S. newsmakers and citizens themselves, we will provide our viewers in Iran uncensored coverage of the open political process in the U.S. -- a contrast to the system now in place in Iran."
This programing continues VOA’s comprehensive coverage of the historic deal. Between July 22 and August 5, VOA Persian broadcast ten Congressional hearings on the deal live and with simultaneous translation – the only international broadcaster in Farsi covering the debate to this extent.
VOA Persian broadcasts are available on three satellites (Asiasat 7, Telstar 12 and Eutelsat Hotbird 13) and voanewsfarsi.com. VOA Persian is also available on the VOA mobile app, available in the Apple and Android app stores.
VOA Persian is one of the leading international news broadcasters in Iran. One-in-five adults in Iran watch VOA Persian weekly for in-depth coverage of American, Iranian, and international developments. Programs can be accessed on direct-to-home satellite, streaming sites, radio and a host of social media platforms. VOA Persian remains the U.S. government’s only means of direct communication with the people of Iran, who have limited access to free media.
