Few Western journalists know Iran in addition to Fred Pleitgen. CNN‘s senior worldwide correspondent has been reporting on the conflicts and contradictions of the Islamic Republic for greater than a decade now.
Pleitgen was the primary Western journalist into Iran after the Israeli air strikes on June 13 — touring over the border from Turkey after which some 14 hours by automobile to Tehran — and whereas the Israel-Iran warfare dominated worldwide media protection, few have been as near the motion as Pleitgen, 49, and his crew, together with long-time producer and photojournalist Claudia Otto. They went contained in the wreckage of the constructing housing the Iranian State Broadcaster, which was hit by an Israeli airstrike whereas an anchor was reside on air; stayed within the nation all through the tit-for-tat missile assaults between Tehran and Tel Aviv; and have been there to report on the U.S. missile strikes on Iranian nuclear websites on June 22 (and the road protests, which have been organized by the mullahs however apparently with participation from these against the regime). They remained till the June 24 ceasefire.
“When Trump mentioned that the Israelis ‘unloaded the final [missiles] hours earlier than the ceasefire,’ we actually felt that on the bottom,” Pleitgen, 49, notes. “We had an enormous airstrike roughly 700 yards from our constructing that shook every part within the morning. The evening earlier than the ceasefire kicked in, we have been on the rooftop and heard and felt the Israeli jets streaking previous and hitting locations in central Tehran.”
It was traditional CNN stuff, the type of on-the-ground, worldwide disaster reporting that the information community constructed its model on. It’s the type of journalism — costly, time-consuming and resource-intensive — that many worry may fall sufferer to cost-cutting within the wake of company shuffling at CNN’s mum or dad firm, Warner Bros. Discovery.
WBD’s determination, introduced June 9, to separate the studio in two, will see CNN, along with TNT Sports activities, Discovery and different TV and digital merchandise, spun off into a brand new, publicly-traded firm, World Networks. Gunnar Wiedenfels, WBD’s CFO who’s set to be the president and CEO of World Networks, confirmed that World Networks will likely be saddled with “the bulk” of WBD’s $37 billion in debt, making finances cuts possible.
WBD company technique is, clearly, above Pleitgen’s pay grade. However the veteran reporter argues that boots-on-the-ground reporting is just not solely important to understanding complicated world crises just like the Israel-Iran warfare — it’s additionally what audiences nonetheless flip to CNN for when the world is on hearth.
The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Pleitgen shortly after he returned residence to Berlin from Tehran. The ceasefire between Iran and Israel continues to carry, however the way forward for Iran’s nuclear program, and of Iranian-U.S. relations, stays as fraught as ever.
You’ve been to Iran many, many instances up to now. What stunned you about what you discovered while you arrived this time?
Even once we have been going into Tehran, stopping at relaxation stations and issues like that, folks have been a bit cooler with us than regular. Normally, they’re fairly jovial and comfortable to see us, however you could possibly sense there was a level of anger, after this assault, which got here from Israel, after all, however they see it as supported by Western international locations and the U.S. …The opposite factor that I felt once we have been driving in was the nation didn’t appear destabilized in any respect. The air strikes have been clearly hurting them, however it was nonetheless like pin pricks, you realize? Within the nation itself, factories have been working, vans have been on the road. You didn’t get a way that the society was destabilized. It was the identical in Tehran as nicely. Some folks have been leaving, they have been going to the mountains. But it surely didn’t appear to me there was mass panic or something.
Did attitudes change because the state of affairs developed, particularly after the U.S. airstrikes?
The attitudes modified whereas the taking pictures warfare was happening between Iran and Israel. Even on the finish of the primary week, on Friday, lots of people began coming again. They’d type of gotten used to the state of affairs. They usually have been fairly pleasant, really. After the U.S. strikes, we have been at a [demonstration], which was clearly organized by the federal government but additionally had loads of reasonable folks there, they usually have been typically okay. There have been folks talking their minds angrily, threatening President Trump and all these items. However there was by no means a second when anyone grew to become hostile or violent in the direction of us.
What’s your evaluation of the affect of the strikes on public sentiment on the streets of Tehran towards the federal government?
Nicely, it’s all the time a query of what we get to see, however we did go across the metropolis lots and we managed to talk to loads of of us, some in northern Tehran, which is wealthier, and really westernized, the place normally there are lots of people who don’t assist the federal government and the management. However even there was the perspective: ‘Why is the U.S. doing this? If we wish change, we’ll do it ourselves.’
A whole lot of the commentary across the warfare has been about how this could possibly be a set off for regime change in Tehran.
Yeah, I didn’t see any of that. There have been instances up to now three to 4 years when [the Iranian regime] was on the ropes a bit of bit, particularly when the hijab protests have been happening in 2022. However I believe, if something, out of this, they really feel strengthened by the truth that folks have been rallying across the flag. There have been no uprisings in any of the areas the place you’d usually see stuff like that, like Kurdistan, but additionally within the western border areas within the north. Nothing of that nature. If something, the federal government felt that its place was strengthened by this warfare.
I don’t assume that that essentially says a lot about folks’s attitudes. I believe there’s nonetheless loads of discontent amongst lots of people, however that will get put apart after they get attacked from the surface. I heard the son of the previous Shah [U.S.-based opposition figure Reza Pahlavi] popping out and saying he believes it is a Berlin Wall second. I didn’t see that vibe on the road. Folks, if they need change, don’t need it induced from the surface by the U.S. or Israel.
What do you assume the Western media is getting unsuitable about Iran — what’s lacking within the protection?
Nicely, first, I believe that it’s inconceivable to cowl a rustic like Iran from the surface. It’s such a big, various nation. There are loads of totally different political leanings, totally different cultures. Take a look at areas like Kurdistan and others which have a novel tradition of their very own. After all, there are some individuals who need change. There are some individuals who totally assist the federal government — there are loads of non secular, conservative folks. And there are people who find themselves fairly patriotic. However there are lots of people simply making an attempt to reside their lives. We meet loads of guys who come to Iran from L.A., reside there for a number of months after which return. They aren’t after regime change.
One of many issues now we have to remember is that regardless of the sanctions, Iran continues to be a really subtle financial system. They’ve loads of manufacturing, they’ve their automobile business, they’ve a giant companies sector and a high-tech sector. We go in when massive political occasions occur, or wars, or when there’s destabilization. However usually, Iran continues to be a functioning state with loads of issues, like digital funds, social media, that you just wouldn’t essentially anticipate while you’re speaking a few religiously-led state. It’s a giant nation with loads of very sensible folks in it.
Has it grow to be tougher to do the type of reporting you do — worldwide disaster reporting — in our more and more polarized, filter-bubble world?
If I am going to locations and simply type of lay out the info, folks nonetheless admire that. I do know there are particular minefields with U.S. coverage and politics, however usually, I believe that it nonetheless works. Cash-wise, resource-wise, I can’t actually complain. I additionally did loads of reporting in Ukraine, and CNN has spent loads of time and loads of assets reporting in Ukraine. For this 12-day warfare that simply occurred, we have been in Iran, we had three reporters and an anchor in Israel. So when the large breaking information occurs, we’re nonetheless there.
Do you assume CNN will proceed prioritizing this type of reporting, particularly given what’s occurring on the company stage, with you being spun off into a brand new, debt-laden firm?
I don’t make company choices, clearly, however I hope it doesn’t change. I additionally assume that, particularly for this type of reporting, for the breaking information reporting, our viewer numbers and our click on numbers go up. Breaking information is what folks flip to CNN for. I believe and hope that our bosses know that as nicely, and that’s why they put the assets into doing this. We’re in such a fast-paced, altering media atmosphere proper now, it’s tough to say what enterprise fashions are going to outlive. However there’s an enormous urge for food for on-the-ground reporting. I hope that continues.
Trying on the state of affairs in Iran now, throughout this ceasefire, what are the large questions for you about the place it goes from right here?
The important thing query now could be how the state of affairs between Iran, the U.S. and Israel will evolve. There’s a continued standoff, with the Trump administration asserting that Iran can’t enrich uranium, the Israelis threatening to strike once more in the event that they do and Iran insisting it’s going to proceed enrichment. For me, the large query is what are the following couple of months and years going to appear to be? Is it going to be extra tit-for-tat strikes? Are the Iranians going to try to hit again? How is that going to destabilize the area? The Gulf states like Qatar and the UAE, who’re geographically shut, are clearly involved. Many of those nations are actively making an attempt to enhance relations with Iran and would possible welcome a de-escalation from the U.S. as nicely. The 2 sides have been at it for such a very long time that it’s in all probability tough to get to the appropriate place.
However I believe there’s room for negotiation. I really assume [United States special envoy to the Middle East] Steve Witkoff has carried out lots higher job than he will get credit score for, you realize, talking with [Iranian foreign minister Abbas] Araghchi, and making an attempt to return to phrases. Talking to Iranians earlier than this all occurred, they gave the impression to be on a reasonably good path, they appeared pretty optimistic that there could possibly be a compromise. … Israel, clearly, is a giant wild card there. I don’t know what’s going to occur with that. However so far as the U.S. and Iran are involved, the place there are loads of destabilizing components, there nonetheless appears to be a will on each side to not less than begin speaking once more sooner or later.