Iran says government news sites seized by US
United States law enforcement seized control of the websites of two Iranian state-controlled news groups, Press TV and Al-Alam, and the Al-Masirah TV channel, run by Yemeni Houthis, statements posted on the websites showed Tuesday.
Each site had displayed a single page with a statement that it “has been seized by the United States Government” and making reference to US sanctions laws, accompanied by the seal of the FBI and the US Department of Commerce.
Marzieh Hashemi, a prominent anchor for Press TV, said that the channel was aware of the seizure, but had no further information.
“We are just trying to figure out what this means,” she said.
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, the parent of Al-Alam, reported that other sites, including a Palestinian-directed broadcast and an Arabic-language religious and cultural channel were also seized.
IRIB accused the United States of repressing freedom of expression and of joining forces with Israel and Saudi Arabia “to block pro-resistance media outlets exposing the crimes of US allies in the region.”
Press TV, launched in June 2007, is the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting’s English-language service. There are no private television or radio stations in Iran. Satellite dishes, while widespread, also are illegal. That leaves IRIB with a monopoly on domestic airwaves.
While airing in Iran, Press TV focuses predominantly on international affairs through the lens of how leaders in the Islamic Republic see the world. Fierce criticism of British and American foreign policy is common. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, IRIB has been in the hands of hard-liners who back Iran’s government.
Its broadcasts have drawn fierce Western criticism, including allegations of anti-Semitism.
While there was no immediate acknowledgement of the seizures from American authorities, they come amid the wider heightened tensions between the US and Iran over Tehran’s now-tattered nuclear deal with world powers.
The Islamic Republic’s president-elect, judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi, staked out a hardline position Monday in his first news conference since his election victory. He said he would would not meet with President Joe Biden and ruled out any further negotiations with the West over Tehran’s ballistic missile program and support for regional militias.