NEW YORK (AP) — Iran, Britain and other nations have been set to sign a landmark deal that will enable the formation of a new multinational media conglomerate, the Iranian press reported Monday.
In the latest in a series of steps, Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency said the three countries were to announce a plan to launch the new media company, which would be headed by a chief executive, the head of state and a managing director.
The announcement comes amid a wave of international condemnation of Iran’s nuclear program that has sparked fears of a military conflict with the United States and its allies.
It was not immediately clear who would be Iran’s new chief executive.
A person familiar with the matter said the company would be owned by Iran’s state-owned oil company, Aramco.
The news agency said the announcement was aimed at bolstering the Islamic Republic’s media and other sectors.
It said the new company will be headed in part by Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran ‘s newly appointed president, who took office in March.
The Islamic Republic is Iran ‘ s dominant media and has been pushing for an independent media that is free from political control and that has more freedom of speech.
Its state-run news agency, IRNA, has a strong presence on Twitter and Facebook, and has criticized what it sees as Western attempts to control the Islamic republic.