The first vice president said it is essential that the media provide non-stop coverage of the campaign against corruption to contribute to efforts aimed at bringing offenders to justice.
“Unfortunately, this evil phenomenon… has afflicted the country and we must root it out,” Es’haq Jahangiri said, expressing concern over the unprecedented number of former officials who are behind bars or face prosecution on corruption charges.
Some of those involved in corruption scandals do not even show any regret for their crimes, while they must be held accountable to the people, Jahangiri told a ceremony held to mark National Journalists’ Day on Saturday.
“The most important social capital is public trust and hope which some are, knowingly or unknowingly, destroying,” he said. “It is among the responsibilities of the media to convey the people’s fundamental needs and demands to officials.”
Referring to efforts by some in state-run media to highlight the government’s weaknesses, he said, “It seems that their interest is in creating tension and not allowing the country and the nation to feel calm.”
Jahangiri said the media should draw the public’s attention to achievements of the government, especially the Vienna accord, struck with the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany) over Tehran’s nuclear program last month.
“(Completing) the nuclear agreement was a great feat. It is unprecedented in history that a so-called Third World country conducts negotiations over an important matter against world powers and comes out victorious.”
Pointing to Israel’s unending opposition to the deal and its desperate lobbying to undermine and ultimately sink it, he called Israel “the biggest loser” of the talks.
“Not even one country has approved Israel’s position,” he was quoted by ISNA as saying.
He said some pro-Israel opponents of the deal are spending huge sums to promote the anti-deal campaign.
“Who would have thought that the (Iran nuclear) issue would create such a division between the US and the Zionist regime and make the Europeans break ranks with the Americans and go separate ways.”
“Despite the uproar raised over the deal in the US, a new wave has emerged in Europe” among businesses, trying to enter and invest in the Iranian market, he added.
