Islamic Republic News Agency

The Islamic Republic News Agency (Persian: خبرگزاري جمهوري اسلامي ايران ), short IRNA, the official news agency of Iran.

History

The agency was founded in 1925 under the name of Pars News Agency as part of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government and incorporated in 1954, the Ministry of Information and Tourism. The news agency was renamed in 1981 in Islamic Republic News Agency and is controlled by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic guidance.

Since 2010, Ali Akbar Javanfekr is director of the news agency.

Organization

After demands to open the Agency in accordance with Article 44 of the Constitution for the private sector, the management, however, appealed to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Chamene'i against privatization, whereupon he said, IRNA will remain an institution of government.

After further proposals from the August 2010, the news agency should be used with

• The media department of the Ministry of Culture as well as with
• The Iranian Student News Agency ISNA and also with
• Iranian newspapers and magazines as well as with the
• Information office of the Presidency and the
• Iranian national television channel Seda va Sima

Work together.

On 18 January 2011 the Office of the President of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the IRNA took over as sub-organization of the Office. Chief of Staff of the President Esfandiar Rahim Maschaie.

IRNA has 60 offices in Iran and 30 other offices abroad. The news agency also publishes seven magazines and newspapers, among them the newspaper Iran Daily.