Iranian opposition news site got $800m in debt relief: Report

Iranian opposition news site got $800m in debt relief: Report Submitted by MEE staff on Fri, 05/29/2026 - 16:30 Debt-for-equity deal suggested ties to a person linked to Saudi Arabian state-backed media group A woman walks past a billboard bearing images of the late founder of the Islamic Revolution, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (L), late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, assassinated in February 2026, and his son, current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, right, along a street in Tehran, on 28 May 2026 (AFP) Off An $870m debt-relief deal suggests that Iran International, an Iranian opposition outlet, has ties to Saudi Arabian investors, according to a Financial Times report on Thursday.  The links stem from documents related to a debt-for-equity swap that Iran International conducted in December to shore up its finances. Iran International has spent hundreds of millions of dollars since its founding in 2017 by British-Saudi investors, the FT reported. According to the report, Iran International’s parent company, Volant Media UK, has lost more than $550m over the past five years, and it owes related entities about $645m. Those numbers came from documents that the FT reported as covering the financial year ending December 2024. Iran International says it is the “most popular Persian speaking foreign based news channel in Iran”. It employs 700 people and broadcasts into Iran from London via satellite, radio and social media outlets. Iran International has been accused by critics of promoting  “regime change” in Iran and advancing the position of the former shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi, for a return to power. The outlet has long denied links to Israel or ...

Original source: Middle East Eye