BBC accepts it failed to ‘continually challenge’ Tehran professor

The BBC has made a partial climbdown over an inflammatory interview with an Iranian academic on Tuesday morning’s Radio 4 Today programme, its flagship news programme, insisting he was challenged during the interview but “accepting” his language should have continued to be challenged.

In a live interview with presenter Mishal Husain, Sayed Mohammad Maradi, introduced as a professor of English literature and Orientalism at the University of Tehran, repeatedly called Israel a “genocidal regime” and attacked Britain and the West for “justifying crimes” carried out by Israel.

Maradi added: “Iranians will definitely do whatever it takes to make sure that the Israel regime fails in its genocide in Gaza and its genocidal airstrikes in Lebanon”.

When Mishal Husain asked him what he meant by “whatever it takes”, Maradi launched into an uninterrupted rant, declaring: “Just as the UK supports this holocaust in Gaza, just as it supports the slaughter of the Lebanese and just as it justifies whatever actions the Israeli regime takes, we have no doubt that they will be with the Israelis until the very last Palestinian.

“Because we are all Amalek in this part of the world. We are inferior. They are the chosen people, they are your allies… the only solution, the only way forward is resistance. There is nothing that will stop this Israeli regime, that is the nature of the regime, it’s an expansionist regime that believes in ethno-supremacism, believes that they are the chosen people, they have exceptional rights, and therefore have exceptional rights in the region. It’s not just Palestine today, it goes beyond the borders of Palestine”.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was “deeply concerned about our national broadcaster allowing such language to be transmitted via the airwaves without clear pushback”, and say they will be raising the matter with the BBC at the highest level.

In strong criticism of the interview, CST policy director Dave Rich said the broadcast was “appalling” and that “the BBC should explain themselves.”  Historian Sir Simon Schama said it was “breathtakingly irresponsible not to push back. Why, in any case, does Today repeatedly go to a ‘professor of English literature’ for wisdom on Iranian foreign and military policy — not that he ever gives it?”

Maradi was introduced as both a professor at the university and a former  adviser to the Iranian government. What the introduction did not make clear was his previous vicious language about Israel — a cursory glance at his Twitter/X feed sees him writing about “Israeli Nazis”.

A BBC spokesperson told Jewish News: “The Today programme covered the latest developments in Lebanon and the Middle East and interviewed a range of people including IDF spokesperson Lt Col Peter Lerner, US diplomat Dennis Ross and Iranian academic Mohammad Marandi to get a broad perspective on the complex politics of the region.

“Mohammed Marandi was interviewed to gain an understanding of the view from Iran, and what their response is likely to be. This was a live interview and he was challenged during the course of the interview, and the Israeli position was reflected. However, we accept we should have continued to challenge his language throughout the interview.”