Ivan Sheehan Tehran’s Influence Operations a Threat to Journalistic Independence For decades, Tehran’s theocratic rulers have gone to great lengths to m ake inroads in Western media outlets once notable for upholding commitments to journalistic independence. These efforts have been so successful that many such organizations are now threatened from within by assets – often disguised as journalists – portraying Iran as the victim of US-led interference and even a looming war. These instruments of propaganda are used to demonize the regime’s opponents at key moments and stave off basic freedoms that would cause the regime to collapse like a house of cards. Many of these so-called journalists of Iranian origin previously worked for Iran's state-controlled media, and some parrot the regime’s talking points as if they are still on the payroll. Most have found comfortable homes in left-leaning media outlets in the West, including MSNBC,...