TEHRAN – Payman Jebelli has been announced as the new managing director of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).

The appointment was announced on Wednesday in a decree issued by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. 

Jebelli, 55, replaced Abolali Ali-Askari who held the position in IRIB, also called “national medium” in Iran, since May 2016.

Jebelli was the former director of the IRIB World Service.

In the decree, the Leader urged the new IRIB director to provide a focus for “raising public awareness and knowledge” and “cultural guidance.”

He also emphasized the need “to raise the national and revolutionary spirit and identity” and help hope and joy of life surge inside society.

Ayatollah Khamenei also urged the production of programs promoting the Islamic-Iranian lifestyle.  

Senior officials, including President Ebrahim Raisi, Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, have congratulated Jebelli on his appointment as IRIB managing director.

Based on the Constitution of Iran, the managing director of IRIB is selected by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution for a term of four years.

In his meeting in 2019 with the literati, Ayatollah Khamenei criticized Persian media and IRIB for their disregard of the standard language, using “faceless language” and foreign terms and words, and addressing the cultural officials and literati, warned, “Don’t let the Persian language fall into decay and ruin.”

Photo: New managing director of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Payman Jebelli, in an undated photo.

MMS/YAW