Voice of America’s Persian-Language Operations Resume

The Voice of America (VOA) Persian-language service, also known as VOA Persian News Network (VOA-PNN), has been reactivated as of Friday, following a period of suspension due to an executive order by the Trump administration. 

VOA’s Persian-language operations, which provide news and programming in Farsi to audiences primarily in Iran and the global Persian-speaking diaspora, were abruptly halted on March 15, 2025, when President Donald Trump signed an executive order terminating federal funding for several U.S.-backed international broadcasters, including VOA, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia. 

This led to approximately 1,300 VOA staff members, including those in the Persian service, being placed on paid administrative leave, effectively silencing the network’s operations in 49 languages. The move was part of a broader effort to reduce the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), VOA’s parent agency, to its “statutory minimum,” with over 500 contractors terminated and plans to eliminate most of the remaining 800 employees.

The decision to reinstate the Persian service came amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, following missile strikes on Thursday and Friday. Israel launched attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities and military targets, killing key figures such as Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, with Iran retaliating with missile strikes on Israel. The USAGM recalled approximately 75 full-time employees of the Persian service—most, if not all, of its full-time staff—to resume operations immediately, as confirmed by an email from USAGM’s human resources department: “Effective immediately, you are recalled from administrative leave. You are expected to report to your duty station immediately.”

The reactivated service began 24/7 television and digital coverage, including a live satellite TV broadcast into Iran and updated content on its website and YouTube channel. Since the Israeli strikes, the VOA Farsi YouTube channel has uploaded nine videos, including one featuring a Persian-speaking Israel Defense Forces spokesperson explaining Israel’s actions and others showing the aftermath of the strikes. However, the reliance on full-time staff without contractors has created operational challenges, as contractors were critical for rapid production scale-up.