US blocks dozens of Iranian-linked media websites

The United States (US) Department of Justice said in a statement that “following court orders, US authorities today removed 33 websites used by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union (IRTVU).”

Shortly after the operation, however, many of these websites resumed operations with a change of domain address. Hezbollah is a group of Iranian-backed militants in Iraq that the United States has designated a terrorist organization.

Which websites were affected?

Following the ban, only one page of Iran’s state-run Press TV website and Iran’s Arabic news service Al-Alam’s website appeared with the message, “This website has been shut down.” The logo of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Commerce Department were seen on it, along with a reference to US sanctions law.

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However, the websites reappeared online with modified Iranian domain addresses such as Al-Alam.ir and Press.ir. The operation also shut down the Houthi rebel-linked website Al-Masirah in Yemen and the Arabic-language TV channel Al-Khawatir in Tehran.

An independent British TV channel on Bahrain has also been affected by the sanctions. The U.S. Department of Justice last year banned nearly 100 Iranian-linked websites for spreading false information.

Iran’s reaction?

The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Iran’s state broadcaster and owner of Press TV and Al-Alam, has called the US move an attempt to suppress freedom of expression. The agency said in a statement that the United States, along with Israel and Saudi Arabia, had “taken this step to stop the resistance media from exposing the crimes of US allies in the region.”

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Press TV is the main English language channel of the Iranian state media, which has been accused in the past of being anti-Semitic and inciting sentiment, denying the Holocaust and spreading conspiracy theories. The UK has also revoked its broadcasting license for the same reasons.

The United States has taken these steps against the Iranian media at a time when relations between the two countries are becoming more strained. A few days ago, hardline leader Ebrahim Raisi was elected the new president of Iran and he also refused to meet with the US President.

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