Iran fury as US takes over state news websites
Print Edition
Tehran warned yesterday Washington鈥檚 seizure of 33 websites run by Iran-linked media was 鈥渘ot constructive鈥 for ongoing talks on bringing the United States back into a landmark nuclear deal.
The US Justice Department said it had seized 33 Iranian government-controlled media websites, as well as three of the Iraqi group Kataeb Hezbollah, which it said were hosted on US-owned domains in violation of sanctions.
Iran鈥檚 state broadcaster accused the US of repressing freedom of expression, while the president鈥檚 office questioned the timing of the move as talks on bringing Washington back into the 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and major powers are reportedly making headway.
鈥淲e are using all international and legal means to ... condemn ... this mistaken policy of the United States,鈥 the director of the president鈥檚 office, Mahmoud Vaezi, told reporters.
鈥淚t appears not constructive when talks for a deal on the nuclear issue are under way.鈥
EU negotiator Enrique Mora said on Sunday that those involved in the talks were 鈥渃loser鈥 to saving the Iran nuclear deal.
But he said that sticking points remain.
The US action also comes just after Iranians chose ultraconservative cleric Ibrahim Raisi as president in an election.
Visitors to leading Iranian media sites like Press TV and Al-Alam, the country鈥檚 main English and Arabic language broadcasters, as well as the Al-Masirah TV channel of Yemen鈥檚 Huthis, were met with single-page statements declaring the website 鈥渉as been seized by the United States government鈥 accompanied by the seals of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Commerce Department.
The 33 websites were held by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union, itself controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps鈥 Quds Force.
Both the IRTVU and IRGC have been placed on the US sanctions blacklist.
That makes it illegal for Americans, US companies, and foreign or non-American companies with US subsidiaries to have business with them or their subsidiaries.
Hardline military faction
Kataeb Hezbollah, the Iraqi group which owned three sites that were seized, is a hardline military faction with close ties to Tehran that Washington has designated a terror group.
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, the immediate parent of Al-Alam, reported that other web domains, including Palestine-Al Youm, a Palestinian-directed broadcaster, and an Arabic-language religious and cultural channel were among those seized by the US.
Bahrain鈥檚 LuaLua TV, a channel run by opposition groups with offices in London and Beirut, was also frozen by the United States.
IRIB accused the US of repressing freedom of expression and joining forces with Israel and Saudi Arabia 鈥渢o block pro-resistance media outlets exposing the crimes of US allies in the region.鈥
TV stations such as Press TV and Al-Alam switched to .ir domains and their websites remained accessible.
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