The United States on Tuesday blocked 36 website domains
linked to Iranian news outlets over claims of spreading disinformation.
The US department of justice said it obtained court orders
to carry out the action.
It said the 36 domains used by the Iranian Islamic Radio and
Television Union (IRTVU), reportedly run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps Quds Force (IRGC), are owned by a US company and that IRTVU did not
obtain a licence from the treasury’s office of foreign assets control before
using the domain names.
Some of the websites were said to be linked to Kataib Hezbollah (KH), an Iran-aligned Iraqi militia group that has been designated a terrorist organisation by the US.
Both IRTVU and IRGC have also been placed on the US
sanctions blacklist, making it illegal for US citizens, companies, and foreign
companies with US subsidiaries to have business with them.
“Today, pursuant to court orders, the United States seized
33 websites used by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union (IRTVU) and
three websites operated by Kata’ib Hizballah (KH), in violation of US
sanctions,” the department said in a statement.
“Components of the government of Iran, disguised as news
organizations or media outlets, targeted the United States to subvert U.S.
democratic processes.”
Other news sites affected include Press TV, an Iranian
state-run news outlet; Al-Alam, an Iranian Arabic news service, Al-Masirah;
Al-Kawthar TV, Tehran-based Arabic-language channel.
Some of the sites were, however, back online within hours
with new domain addresses.
Reacting to the development, Islamic Republic of Iran
Broadcasting (IRIB), the owner of Press TV and Al-Alam, accused the US of
stifling freedom of expression.
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