Mehr News Agency
An Iranian semi-official news agency headquartered in Tehran and publishing news and photographs in six languages.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Mehr News Agency, commonly abbreviated MNA, is an Iranian semi-official news organization headquartered in Tehran. It was established on 22 June 2003 and is owned by the Islamic Development Organization, a state-linked institution associated with Iran's government. The agency operates as a broad general-news service, publishing material on domestic politics, international affairs, the economy, society, culture, religion, thought, education, science and technology, sports, the arts, literature, provincial affairs and photography. Mehr's principal publishing platform is its website, which distributes written reports, photographs and topic-specific coverage. The agency publishes in Persian, English, Arabic, Turkish, Urdu and Kurdish, making it one of the more multilingual Iranian news organizations. Its Persian service is directed primarily at domestic audiences, while its foreign-language services provide international readers with an Iranian institutional perspective on political, social, cultural and economic developments. The agency's domestic reporting structure includes correspondents and photographers in all 30 Iranian provinces, supported by five regional centers covering northern, southern, central, eastern and western Iran. It has also used stringers and correspondents in a range of overseas regions, including Europe, South America, Turkey, East Asia, Persian Gulf states and the Commonwealth of Independent States. This combination of provincial reporting and international representation allows Mehr to function both as a national news provider and as an outlet for Iran-focused international coverage. Mehr is governed within Iran's state-linked media environment. According to the reference material, the agency's director is selected by Iran's Supreme Leader. Parviz Esmaeili served as its first chief executive and director general, while Mohammad Mahdi Rahmati is identified as the current chief executive and director general in the cited reference. The agency is therefore distinct from an independent commercial wire service: its ownership, governance and editorial positioning place it within Iran's semi-official communications system. Internationally, Mehr has participated in professional news-agency networks and conferences. It became the 40th member of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies in 2007 and later hosted OANA meetings in Tehran. It also took part in international gatherings including the World Media Summit in Beijing, the OANA summit in Seoul, the News Agencies World Congress in Argentina and additional OANA meetings in Istanbul and Ulaanbaatar. The agency has published its website content under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, allowing reuse subject to attribution. Mehr's public profile has also attracted criticism. In 2006, the Anti-Defamation League characterized the agency as a platform for Holocaust deniers after it published interviews with several figures associated with Holocaust denial or revisionism. The criticism forms part of the wider debate over the editorial role of Iranian state-linked media and the boundaries of its political and historical coverage. Despite this controversy, the agency remains an active, multilingual Iranian news service with a nationwide reporting network and international-facing output.
History
Mehr News Agency was established on 22 June 2003 in Tehran as a new Iranian news service operating within the country's state-linked media environment. The agency is owned by the Islamic Development Organization, an Iranian government-linked institution. Its first chief executive and director general was Parviz Esmaeili. The agency's director is selected by Iran's Supreme Leader, a governance arrangement that distinguishes Mehr from privately owned or editorially independent international wire services. From its beginning, Mehr developed as a general-interest agency rather than a narrowly specialized publication. Its coverage has included political and international affairs, the economy, society, religion and thought, seminary and university matters, modern technology, the arts, literature, sports, magazines, photography and provincial news. The agency's website became its central distribution channel, while its reporting network extended across Iran through reporters and photographers working in all 30 provinces. Mehr also organized its domestic operations through five regional centers covering northern, southern, central, eastern and western Iran. This structure supported nationwide reporting beyond Tehran. In addition to its domestic staff, the agency used overseas stringers and correspondents in Europe, South America, Turkey, East Asia, several Persian Gulf states and Commonwealth of Independent States countries. The resulting network gave Mehr both local reach inside Iran and the capacity to report on Iranian affairs for international audiences. A major feature of the agency's development has been multilingual publishing. Mehr distributes news and photographs in Persian, English, Arabic, Turkish, Urdu and Kurdish. This six-language structure enables it to serve Persian-speaking domestic readers as well as regional and international audiences. The English, Arabic and Turkish services are particularly relevant to cross-border political and regional coverage, while Urdu and Kurdish extend its reach into neighboring linguistic communities. Mehr became involved in international news-agency institutions during the 2000s. In 2007 it was admitted as the 40th member of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies. It subsequently hosted the OANA Executive Board and Editorial-Technical Experts Group meetings in 2009 and participated in a number of international media and news-agency events. These included the 2009 World Media Summit in Beijing, the 2010 OANA summit in Seoul, the third News Agencies World Congress in Argentina, and later OANA meetings in Istanbul and Ulaanbaatar. Reference material also states that Mehr ranked second among OANA member agencies in the number of news items and photographs published on the organization's website during the period reported, and that it initiated an OANA flag later adopted by the organization. The agency's public editorial identity has been controversial as well as institutionally significant. In 2006, the Anti-Defamation League objected to Mehr's publication of interviews with several prominent Holocaust deniers or revisionist figures, arguing that the agency amplified their views. This episode illustrates the political and ideological context in which Mehr operates and has contributed to criticism of its relationship to Iran's official information environment. Mehr continues to operate as a multilingual Iranian news agency. Its website publishes news, photographs and specialized sections across a wide range of subjects. The agency also states that its online content is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, subject to attribution requirements.
- 2011
Participation in OANA meetings in Ulaanbaatar
[1]Mehr participated in OANA's Editorial-Technical Experts Group and Executive Board meetings held in Ulaanbaatar.
- 2010
Participation in international news summits
[1]Mehr participated in the World Media Summit in Beijing, the OANA summit in Seoul and the third News Agencies World Congress in Argentina.
- 2009
Mehr hosts OANA meetings
[1]The agency hosted OANA's 31st Executive Board Meeting and 25th Editorial-Technical Experts Group Meeting.
- 2007
Admission to the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies
[1]Mehr became the 40th member of OANA.
- 2006
Publication of interviews with Holocaust deniers draws criticism
[1]The Anti-Defamation League criticized the agency for publishing interviews with figures associated with Holocaust denial.
- 2003
Mehr News Agency is established
[1]Mehr News Agency was established on 22 June in Tehran as an Iranian general-news organization.
Products and positioning
A state-linked, semi-official Iranian news agency combining nationwide domestic reporting with multilingual international distribution.
Digital news platform
Mehr News website
The agency's principal digital publishing platform, carrying written news, photographs and topic-based sections. Coverage spans Iranian domestic affairs, international news, politics, economics, society, culture, religion, education, science and technology, sports, arts and provincial developments.
News service
Multilingual news service
Mehr distributes reporting and photographs in Persian, English, Arabic, Turkish, Urdu and Kurdish. The language portfolio supports domestic publication while also presenting Iranian and regional news to audiences beyond Iran.
Photojournalism
Photo service
A news-photography operation supporting the agency's written reporting and international distribution. Mehr's photographers are part of its nationwide reporting network and contribute images to its website and news-agency exchanges.
Editorial sections
Magazine and specialist sections
The agency maintains magazine and subject-focused editorial areas alongside its core news desk. These sections cover fields such as cinema, theater, music, visual arts, literature, religion, universities, technology, social affairs and sports.
Controversies
2006
Criticism over interviews with Holocaust deniers
The Anti-Defamation League criticized Mehr for publishing interviews with Arthur Butz, Michael A. Hoffman II, Fredrick Toben, Paul Fromm, Mark Weber and Robert Faurisson, characterizing the agency as a vehicle for Holocaust-denial views.
Brand decisions
2009
Host OANA executive and technical meetingsStrategyBackground
Membership in OANA created opportunities for Mehr to take an organizing role in professional news-agency cooperation.
Action taken
Mehr hosted the organization's 31st Executive Board Meeting and 25th Editorial-Technical Experts Group Meeting.
Aftermath
The events increased the agency's institutional visibility within the international news-agency community.
2007
Expand participation in international news-agency networksStrategyBackground
As a multilingual Iranian news provider, Mehr sought a formal role in international news-agency cooperation.
Action taken
The agency joined the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies as its 40th member.
Aftermath
Mehr subsequently participated in and hosted OANA meetings and other international media gatherings.
Sources2 sources
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