Leaked internal documents indicate that Thomson Reuters, the global news and information company, provided approximately $3.8 million in news services to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Iran's state-controlled media organization. These revelations, first analyzed by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), suggest that the services were rendered despite IRIB being under international sanctions. The alleged transactions spanned over a decade, with some reports detailing negotiations between 2021 and 2024.
The documents reportedly show Reuters negotiating with senior IRIB and Press TV executives to continue delivering large volumes of text and video news services. This continued even as payment transfers were reportedly blocked by U.S. sanctions, prompting Reuters to acknowledge IRIB's heavy reliance on their content. Emails are said to document Reuters requesting overdue payments totaling nearly $3.9 million, and accepting the use of a "third-party agent" to facilitate transactions when direct bank transfers failed.
IRIB, the sole legal TV and radio broadcaster in Iran, has been sanctioned by the United States since 2013 and the European Union since 2012. These sanctions stem from its role in human rights abuses, including the broadcasting of forced confessions of political detainees and censorship. Senior IRIB executives, including Peyman Jebelli and Ahmad Noroozi, are also under U.S., EU, and Canadian sanctions for their alleged involvement in "broadcasting coerced confessions and collaborating with Iranian intelligence."
A congressional source, commenting on the allegations, stated, > "Sanctions evasion 'is an actual crime that people go to jail for'." U.S. economic sanctions are enforced by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), with violations carrying significant civil and criminal penalties. These can include substantial monetary fines for corporations and imprisonment for individuals, with the DOJ prioritizing individual accountability.
The leaked communications suggest Reuters was aware of the sanctions impeding payments but sought solutions to maintain the flow of content. Critics argue that providing services to IRIB, an entity designated as a propaganda arm of the Iranian regime, could inadvertently lend legitimacy to its output. As of the publication of these reports, Thomson Reuters has not issued a public statement specifically addressing these allegations of providing services to sanctioned IRIB and potential sanctions evasion.