Original sentence: France 24 and Mohammed Al Jazairy of Asharq Alawsat state that Al Mayadeen represents the latest expansion of Iran, Syria and Hezbollah in the field of media.However, Ghassan bin Jiddo, director of the channel, denied this and stated that the channel is funded by Arab businessmen whose identity he would not disclose.It is further said by Zeina Karam of the Associated Press that the channel's close ally in Lebanon is the powerful Shiite group Hezbollah.Omar Ibhais, a freelance Lebanese TV producer, stated that the channel is a joint venture between the Iranians and Rami Makhlouf, cousin of Syrian President Bashar Assad.The staff of the channel include Lebanese journalists such as Sami Kulaib, Ali Hashem, the former Al Jazeera war correspondent, who resigned from the Qatari channel for stated that it refused to broadcast footage of militants on the Lebanese Syrian borders in the early days of the Syrian uprising, Zahi Wehbe, Lina Zahreddine, Lana Mudawwar, Muhammad Alloush, Ahmad Abu Ali and Dina Zarkat.Western media reports that the channel is a propaganda platform for Iran and Hezbollah and is funded by them
Edited sentence: However, Ghassan bin Jiddo, director of the channel, denied these claims and stated that the channel is funded by Arab businessmen whose identity he would not disclose.It is further claimed by  Zeina Karam of the Associated Press that the channel's close ally in Lebanon is the powerful Shiite group Hezbollah.Omar Ibhais, a freelance Lebanese TV producer, argued that the channel is a joint venture between the Iranians and Rami Makhlouf, cousin of Syrian President Bashar Assad.On the other hand, It is also argued by France 24 and Mohammed Al Jazairy of Asharq Alawsat that Al Mayadeen represents the latest expansion of Iran, Syria and Hezbollah in the field of media.The staff of the channel include Lebanese journalists such as Sami Kulaib, Ali Hashem, the former Al Jazeera war correspondent, who resigned from the Qatari channel for claims it refused to broadcast footage of militants on the Lebanese Syrian borders in the early days of the Syrian uprising, Zahi Wehbe, Lina Zahreddine, Lana Mudawwar, Muhammad Alloush, Ahmad Abu Ali and Dina Zarkat.Western media claim that the channel is a propaganda platform for Iran and Hezbollah and is funded by them