His dual role as senator and media magnate gave him significant influence. While Ettelaat often reflected official state policies, it also provided coverage of social and cultural issues that resonated with ordinary Iranians.
Personal Life
In 1938, Masoudi married Qodsi Amir-Arjomand, the daughter of Yousef Khan Amir-Amjad, a notable figure of his time. The couple had five children—two sons, Farhad and Bahram, and three daughters.
Family ties played an important role in the continuity of the Ettelaat legacy. After Masoudi’s sudden death in 1974, his eldest son, Farhad, assumed control of the newspaper.
Death and Succession
Abbas Masoudi died unexpectedly in 1974 at the age of 59. His passing marked the end of an era for Iranian journalism. Leadership of Ettelaat passed to his son, Farhad Masoudi, who managed the newspaper until the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
After the revolution, the Masoudi family, like many others connected to the Pahlavi state, left Iran. Farhad moved first to London and later settled in Nice, France, where he died in 2015. Bahram, the younger son, initially emigrated to Canada but returned to Iran a few years later and eventually worked under Seyyed Mahmoud Doaei, who had become the head of the Ettelaat Institute.
