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While several U.S. intelligence agencies have recently highlighted the Iranian regime’s efforts to influence the 2024 U.S. elections, such actions are not new when it comes to Tehran’s attempts to assert its influence in Washington. Documents uncovered in June revealed a concerning intersection between media funding and foreign influence operations aimed at shaping public opinion in the West. According to The Washington Post, leaders of an online news site targeting Americans received payments from Iranian government media outlets, showcasing the sophisticated methods used by Tehran to disseminate its narratives.
Hacked emails and documents from the Iranian state-funded Press TV revealed payments to a writer who is now a Washington-based editor for Grayzone. This finding, indicative of a broader pattern, illustrates how Tehran effectively utilizes media channels to promote its interests. Press TV’s files, released in 2022 by hacktivist group Black Reward and converted into a searchable format by Neal Rauhauser, show that the Iranian broadcaster paid a Washington-based reporter for contributions while he was also working for Russia’s Sputnik news outlet.
Interestingly, Grayzone’s work also shows a particular interest in Iran’s opposition, as it has a dedicated tag for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), a leading Iranian dissident group that possesses a major network inside Iran. Somehow, this focus aligns perfectly with Tehran’s long-standing efforts to discredit and demonize the PMOI, which has been a significant force advocating for regime change in Iran.
One of the main goals of the Iranian regime's four-decade demonization campaign against the #MEK has been to spread the narrative that the MEK is a fringe group, a cult with no popular base inside Iran.#IranRevolution pic.twitter.com/TrV6YhGBBQ
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 9, 2023
On October 9, 2022, amid widespread protests in Iran with chants like “Death to Khamenei” being shouted all across the country, Max Blumenthal of Grayzone diligently attempted to diverge from the global attention on the Iranian people’s legitimate demands. Instead, he emphasized that the West was pursuing a regime change agenda, conducting an interview with a purported supporter of the regime who claimed that the protests were exaggerated by social media trolls, particularly blaming the PMOI.
In the midst of the interview, Blumenthal writes, “Just quickly, for those who don’t know, the MEK is the Mojahedin-e-Khalq, which is a US- and Saudi-backed opposition movement, dedicated explicitly to regime change in Iran and replacing it with its cult-like leader, Maryam Rajavi. They have been based in Albania under the watch of the US military and US intelligence, and it’s there that they maintain a troll farm, as you said, to spin out hashtags against the government in Iran.”
Blumenthal has also extensively used X (formerly Twitter) to attack the PMOI, particularly during their significant achievements or when they received support from prominent global figures. His consistent labeling of the organization as a ‘MEK regime change cult’ reflects a deep-seated grievance shared with Tehran against a movement seeking to overthrow the clerical dictatorship.
Furthermore, it may not be a coincidence that Grayzone and its editors, including Blumenthal, are frequently referenced by Iranian state media, with many of their works translated into Persian. This frequent citation and translation underscore the utility of their content for Tehran’s narrative aims.
Press TV a Branch of #Iran Regime for Money Laundering and Demonization Against #MEK and the Iranian Resistance https://t.co/JNZnKMqd3F
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) February 14, 2022
The clerical regime in Iran has a long history of using foreign reporters to advance its political and intelligence objectives. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) has exposed several of these operations, highlighting how the regime’s “friendly journalists” have served Tehran’s agenda. For instance, in 2019, a Norwegian reporter, Eskil Engdal, was manipulated by an agent of the Iranian regime’s embassy in Albania to publish falsehoods about Iranian dissidents in Ashraf 3, located northwest of the country’s capital Tirana.
Moreover, the NCRI successfully challenged highly defamatory articles in German media, with courts ruling in favor of the Iranian Resistance against Der Spiegel and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Tehran has also relied on self-proclaimed experts, mouthpieces, and front organizations in the West that, while appearing critical of the regime, effectively work in line with its geopolitical interests. These entities, operating under the guise of independent journalism, political activism, or scholarship, obscure their affiliations, making it challenging to distinguish genuine efforts for change from covert operations that serve the regime.
For almost six decades, the PMOI, which both dictatorships in Tehran have invested substantial energy, funds, and time to eliminate and demonize, stands out as a steadfast advocate for regime change in Iran. Despite the ever-shifting policies and priorities of global powers, this movement has remained unwavering in its mission, highlighting its genuine commitment to bring about freedom and democracy for the Iranian people. This is why any serious and considerate statecraft that does care about peace and stability in the Middle East, not only refuses to fall for Tehran’s false flag operations but considers the organization as a paragon to distinguish the good guys from the bad.
