CBS sent foreign correspondent Imtiaz Tyab to Iran for a Friday report on Evening News that was ostensibly about getting Iranian reactions to the recent war with Israel but in reality was just an uncritical regurgitation of regime propaganda.
In a voiceover, Tyab began, “We went to the University of Tehran to see the first Friday prayers after 12 days of war with Israel ended in a fragile ceasefire. These are the Islamic Republic's true believers. They have gathered beneath freshly printed posters showing the faces of those who were killed in recent Israeli strikes. Led by a cleric clutching an automatic rifle, heaping praise on Iran's supreme leader.”
Directly addressing the camera, Tyab continued, “Here in theocratic Iran, religion and politics don’t just go hand-in-hand; they are inseparable from each other, and as expected, you can hear chants of ‘death to America’ and ‘death to Israel.’ As we left the prayers, we noticed most who attended were older, deeply conservative, and their anger was real.”
Outside, Tyab interviewed a woman, “What is your message to President Trump?”
Tyab translated for the woman while also setting up his next scene, “She says, ‘Our message is 'hands off Iran,' Trump, this is not your homeland.’ Our next stop was a well-to-do neighborhood in northwestern Tehran, where the scars of war were clear to see. Three floors of this apartment building were blown out by an Israeli airstrike, eyewitnesses told us.”
Introducing his next interviewee, Tyab continued, “According to Iranian state TV, the apparent target of the Israeli strike was Dr. Mohammed Mehdi Tehranchi, a prominent academic and nuclear physicist. He and his wife were among those who were killed. Mohammed Aywazi lives in the building next door. He said he saw dead bodies lying in the street.”
Through an interpreter, the man claimed, “These indiscriminate terrorist actions. The Israelis have no goal but to kill people.”
Tyab followed up, “You believe this is a terrorist attack?” And the man repeated, “Yes, 100 percent, it is terrorist attack.”
If Tyab wanted to go to Tehran but avoid just being an Ayatollah Echo Chamber, he could have asked the people chanting “death to Israel” and “death to America” why they are so shocked they were taken seriously. But being an anti-Israel mouthpiece is what Tyab does. While CBS has acknowledged the Iranian government keeps an eye on Tyab's reporting, and did so again before his Friday report, it still raises the question of why these reports are necessary if it is going to just end up being regime propaganda.
Here is a transcript for the June 27 show:
CBS Evening News
6/27/2025
6:38 PM ET
IMTIAZ TYAB: We went to the University of Tehran to see the first Friday prayers after 12 days of war with Israel ended in a fragile ceasefire. These are the Islamic Republic's true believers. They have gathered beneath freshly printed posters showing the faces of those who were killed in recent Israeli strikes. Led by a cleric clutching an automatic rifle, heaping praise on Iran's supreme leader.
Here in theocratic Iran, religion and politics don’t just go hand-in-hand; they are inseparable from each other, and as expected, you can hear chants of “death to America” and “death to Israel.”
As we left the prayers, we noticed most who attended were older, deeply conservative, and their anger was real.
What is your message to President Trump?
WOMAN: [Speaking foreign language]
TYAB: She says, "Our message is ‘hands off Iran,’ Trump, this is not your homeland." Our next stop was a well-to-do neighborhood in northwestern Tehran, where the scars of war were clear to see. Three floors of this apartment building were blown out by an Israeli airstrike, eyewitnesses told us.
According to Iranian state TV, the apparent target of the Israeli strike was Dr. Mohammed Mehdi Tehranchi, a prominent academic and nuclear physicist. He and his wife were among those who were killed. Mohammed Aywazi lives in the building next door. He said he saw dead bodies lying in the street.
MOHAMMED AYWAZ: [Speaking foreign language]
INTERPRETER: These indiscriminate terrorist actions. The Israelis have no goal but to kill people.
TYAB: You believe this is a terrorist attack?
AYWAZ: [Speaking in a foreign language]
INTERPRETER: Yes, 100 percent, it is terrorist attack.
