Iranian state television

Iranian state television is the colloquial term for IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting), the constitutional broadcasting monopoly whose director is appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. IRIB is not a single channel but a system of over thirty television channels and thirty radio networks, alongside the international service Press TV. During the Iran-US conflict 2026, it has served as the primary source for official Iranian casualty figures, government statements, and domestic framing of the war. Its casualty reports — including figures from the B1 highway bridge strike of 3 April 2026 — are cited internationally but carry the caveat that they reflect regime-approved information.

IRIB has been a military target in the conflict, with its Tehran headquarters struck in March 2026; broadcasting continued via contingency systems. On 30 April 2026, it served as the medium through which Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei read his written statement claiming 'new management' of the Strait of Hormuz — the highest-profile use of IRIB as the exclusive conduit for Khamenei's public pronouncements.

The reliability of IRIB's wartime reporting is contested. Its figures are often the only available source for events inside Iran, making them widely quoted while remaining unverified. IRIB simultaneously shapes domestic Iranian perception of the war and provides external observers their primary window into official Iranian claims. Any post-war government would also rely on this broadcaster to communicate its authority to the Iranian public.