A fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran holds – but the information war intensifies. At the centre: the Strait of Hormuz, where competing US and Iranian narratives have collided.

During any truce, even when the bombs stop falling, the information war goes on.  Moments like this test journalism. Because the job is not just to report on the messaging coming from all sides – but to decode and debunk it if necessary.

Contributors:
Abeer Al Najjar – Professor of Media & Journalism, American University of Sharjah
Andrew Arsan – Professor of Arab & Global History, University of Cambridge
Alireza Doostdar – Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Chicago
Nazila Fathi – Former Tehran Correspondent, New York Times

On our radar

Israel’s relations with its European allies are fraying, with increasingly sharp rhetoric from both sides playing out across political and media platforms. Meenakshi Ravi reports.

The Iranian diaspora contains a wide range of often conflicting views. But judging by its representation in mainstream Western media, one might assume the dominant position is support for the war.

We speak to Narges Bajoghli about how diaspora voices are weaponised in coverage of Iran.

Featuring:
Narges Bajoghli – Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins University