Pezeshkian under fire for boosting funding to propaganda institutions

Iranian media outlets and public figures are criticizing Tehran’s proposed budget for allocating substantial funds to the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) and religious institutions.

Critics saw the allocation of the 350 trillion rials (approximately $400 million) for IRIB as most contentious, noting an increase of 33% compared to last year.

This budget surpasses the combined allocations for several key ministries, including Oil, Foreign Affairs, Cultural Heritage, and Justice.

The $400 million allocation for IRIB would have been $800 million if not for the currency’s sharp devaluation.

In a commentary published by Etemad on Monday, prominent reformist commentator Abbas Abdi sharply criticized Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for increasing IRIB’s budget.

“What is the government’s justification for financing this inefficient institution? … Why should the public bear the cost of the state television’s revenue decline from advertising?” Abdi wrote, arguing that the drop in revenue is due to a shrinking audience.

IRIB, now dominated by ultra-hardliners aligned with the Paydari Party, offers limited entertainment, instead focusing on religious and political messaging.

Observers also point out that viewers have increasingly turned to foreign-based satellite channels, particularly Persian-language channels, and domestic video-on-demand platforms.

While IRIB claims a 72% viewership, a survey by the state-affiliated Iranian Students Polling Agency (ISPA) indicates a sharp decline. According to ISPA, only 12.5% of respondents now consider IRIB their primary news source, down from 51% in 2017.

Over the past years, the broadcaster has been sanctioned by many Western governments for its role in state propaganda, censorship, and broadcasting forced confessions.

Controversial funding for religious institutions

Beyond IRIB, the increased funding for state-run Islamic propaganda organizations and so-called "cultural institutions" has also sparked backlash. These organizations, which receive tens of millions of dollars in government funding, operate with little transparency and are not subject to government oversight.

Among them is an organization responsible for promoting group prayers in government offices, schools, and universities. Another is tasked with enforcing Islamic obligations, such as wearing the hijab and fasting, while discouraging what it deems sinful behavior.

Other recipients include the Qom-based Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute founded by the late Ayatollah Mohammad-Taghi Mesbah-Yazdi, often considered the spiritual father of the Islamic Republic's ultraconservatives, and Al-Mustafa International University in Qom that has branches in over fifty countries and sponsors hundreds of students annually, from China to Africa and Latin America, to study in Iran.

Many critics question the necessity of such expenditures at a time when the country faces severe economic challenges.

"Why is it necessary to spend so much money on foreign seminary students in a country where nearly a million students have dropped out of school mainly due to poverty," journalist Mohammad Parsi wrote on X.

Calls for budget revisions

Speaking to Entekhab last week, former moderate conservative lawmaker Jalal Rashidi Kouchi urged the Pezeshkian to eliminate funding for these institutions, arguing that these have “no [observable] achievement other than fueling public resentment toward the government.”

The government recently submitted the second part of its budget bill to parliament, detailing allocations to IRIB and these controversial cultural institutions. Lawmakers are currently reviewing the bill and must approve it before the Iranian New Year (Norouz) on March 20.

Economic challenges ahead

One of the biggest challenges facing Pezeshkian’s administration—exacerbated by an expected decline in oil exports, Iran’s primary source of revenue—is a growing budget deficit and inflation surpassing 40 percent. The situation has deteriorated further following US President Donald Trump’s recent reinstatement of his "maximum pressure" policy against Iran.

As the budget debate continues and food and commodity prices surge ahead of the Persian New Year, public scrutiny over government spending on propaganda and religious institutions is expected to grow.

According to in-house analysts, the hardline-dominated Parliament is not likely to yield to such concerns and may even approve further increases for some propaganda organizations.