Voice of America is covering Iran’s protests, but not its best-known dissident

When Sahar Tahvili, a professor at a Swedish university, sat for an interview with Voice of America’s Persian service on Jan. 9, she discussed the security concerns for Iranian viewers using Starlink satellites to circumvent the government’s internet blackouts.

But it was a greeting at the start of the interview that crossed a line with the company’s top brass. She thanked the network for having her before invoking the name of Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s deposed shah: “Let me first pass my greetings to our compatriots in Iran, a nation that, by standing on the right side of history and by responding in the millions to Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi’s call, is shaping historic days for the freedom of our country.”

Later that day, Tahvili received a phone call from the VOA producer who arranged her interview, complaining that she had violated Voice of America’s new policy barring mentions of Pahlavi’s name — which she said she didn’t know about.

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