Amidst Ceasefire Negotiations, Blumenthal Calls on Trump Administration to Fully Restore VOA Persian & Radio Farda Broadcast to Iran

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote the Acting CEO of U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) Michael Rigas seeking additional information about what actions are being taken to restore and expand its reporting and broadcasting capabilities in Iran, including Voice of America's (VOA) Persian channel. Today's inquiry follows Blumenthal's March letter urging USAGM to provide VOA Persian News Network and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) Radio Farda with the staff and resources necessary to resume providing independent news and open debate in Iran.

"As the United States and Iran engage in negotiations to end the war and resolve longstanding disputes, USAGM's Persian-language services are needed even more. Iran fought against the U.S. through, in part, a high-tech, modern propaganda war," Blumenthal wrote.

"It is in America's national interest interests to make sure that Iranians have reliable voices to debunk disinformation and report factual information."

"USAGM must ensure that VOA Persian and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) Radio Farda have every resource needed to gather information from inside Iran, report on negotiations, and provide safety information to civilians. USAGM must also position the Open Technology Fund (OTF) and RFE/RL to succeed through full access to grant funding without delays, obstruction, or imposing unnecessary costs."

The full text of today's letter is available here and copied below.

Dear Mr. Rigas,

I write to follow up on your commitment to support the U.S.'s Persian-language broadcasting services, and to request further information on the steps that the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) is taking to restore and expand its reporting and broadcasting capabilities in Iran. As relations with Iran shift to a potential ceasefire and negotiations, it is more urgent than ever to ensure that Iranians have access to unbiased and trustworthy information about international and domestic affairs.

In your March 24, 2026 response to my initial letter, you affirmed USAGM's commitment to Persian-language broadcasting: allocating broadcasting transmitters to its services, ensuring Voice of America's (VOA) Persian channel can air live continuous news, and supporting internet anti-filtering tools for access to censored news. I appreciate USAGM's shared dedication to this important cause and urge the agency to take further steps to provide Iranians with reliable and authoritative reporting about the conflict and the information necessary to safeguard their safety and democratic aspirations.

As the United States and Iran engage in negotiations to end the war and resolve longstanding disputes, USAGM's Persian-language services are needed even more. Iran fought against the U.S. through, in part, a high-tech, modern propaganda war. The deluge of disinformation and manipulative media from Iran in recent weeks has shown the sophistication and strategic importance to the regime of controlling information. Social media feeds were filled with A.I. videos and false claims about military successes by Iran, reinforcing the regime's attempts to project control in the region and over the country. It is in America's national interest interests to make sure that Iranians have reliable voices to debunk disinformation and report factual information.

We should expect that Iran will continue to push its narrative and attempt to bolster the perceived strength of the Islamic Republic during negotiations and after. Furthermore, under the cover of war, the regime intensified its repression of political dissent, shutting down internet access for over a month and executing at least fourteen individuals, including participants in the January pro-democracy protests. As Iranian history has shown, there is a grave and urgent risk that the government -fearing greater challenges to its control - will engage in even more brutal crackdowns of protesters, dissent, and journalism.

USAGM must ensure that VOA Persian and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) Radio Farda have every resource needed to gather information from inside Iran, report on negotiations, and provide safety information to civilians. USAGM must also position the Open Technology Fund (OTF) and RFE/RL to succeed through full access to grant funding without delays, obstruction, or imposing unnecessary costs. In order to understand the steps USAGM is taking to support its Persian-language broadcast services, please provide the following information by April 23, 2026:

1. What steps is USAGM planning to take to make sure that VOA Persian and Radio Farda have full-time broadcasting capabilities (shortwave and mediumwave) on additional USAGM locations in addition to Kuwait, to provide full reach inside of Iran without imposing expenses on the services? Has it denied any requests for additional transmission capabilities and, if so, why?
2. Being able to provide accurate, comprehensive, and compelling content on a regular and timely basis requires adequate staffing. What progress has USAGM made to fully restore the staffing and contracting of journalists and media professionals at levels equal to or greater than the agency's prior layoffs?
3. VOA Persian's resumption of the around-the-clock coverage is a positive step, and I encourage USAGM to maintain at least that amount of coverage permanently. Will USAGM continue to provide VOA Persian with the broadcasting resources and funding necessary for 24/7 breaking news service with at least 16 hours live coverage?
4. OTF and RFE/RL's work providing internet anti-filtering tools and reporting from Radio Farda are also vitally important. Will USAGM commit to ensuring OTF and RFE/RL receive their full grant funding in a timely manner, with no reprogramming, diversion of funds, or other interference?

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

-30-

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Tweet