Iran International honored at American Abroad Media Awards

From left to right: Aaron Lobel, Jason Rezaian (front), Mehdi Parpanchi, Yeganeh Salehi, Marzia Hussaini, Samira Gharaei, Gelareh Hon, Arash Aalaei
From left to right: Aaron Lobel, Jason Rezaian (front), Mehdi Parpanchi, Yeganeh Salehi, Marzia Hussaini, Samira Gharaei, Gelareh Hon, Arash Aalaei

Iran International received an award at the 12th annual American Abroad Media (AAM) Awards, in a ceremony held on Thursday in Washington DC.

The annual AAM Awards recognize "outstanding leaders whose work exemplifies the power of media to inform, educate, and empower."

Iran International was recognized for its efforts in bringing the voices of the Iranian people to a global audience and its commitment to accurate and transparent reporting.

This year’s recipients also included Dr. Mathias Döpfner, chairman and CEO of Axel Springer SE—parent company of Politico and Business Insider—and a board member at Netflix; Oscar-nominated Lebanese filmmaker Ziad Doueiri, known for The Insult and The Attack; and Moira Forbes, president and publisher of Forbes Women.

Republican Senator Dave McCormick, US presidential deputy special envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus, French Ambassador Laurent Bili, Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, Egyptian Ambassador Motaz Zahran, and Azerbaijani Ambassador Khazar Ibrahim were among notable guests attending the event held at Fairmont hotel.

The AAM initiative celebrates those who contribute to media education, empowerment, and impactful storytelling, especially in challenging environments. The ceremony gathers diplomats, politicians, and cultural figures from around the world to highlight the importance of dialogue and press freedom.

Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich (center) along with Iran International's Zoubin Navi (left), Gelareh Hon (second from left), Roxana Kheirkar (right) and Samira Gharaei.
Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich (center) along with Iran International's Zoubin Navi (left), Gelareh Hon (second from left), Roxana Kheirkar (right) and Samira Gharaei.

Receiving the award, the executive editor of Iran International in Washington DC Mehdi Parpanchi said, “Iran International is right now the most-watched news channel among Iranians—inside the country and across the diaspora. And we are the only 24/7 newsroom fully dedicated to covering Iran."

“That’s not a technical setup—it’s a line of communication in the dark," he added.

On the sidelines of the ceremony, Parpanchi dedicated the award to the network’s audience and said a significant portion of the channel’s content is drawn from firsthand accounts sent by citizens across Iran.

In May 2024, Iran International was awarded with the 2024 Geneva Summit Courage Award for "fearlessly uncovering the daily abuses of the Islamic Republic of Iran."