US Government closes Iranian media outlets
1 min read
The United States has taken control of Iranian media outlets for allegedly spreading false information.
Many media outlets went off the air and showed signs of being shut down by the US government.
The stations include Iran’s Press TV and al-Masirah TV, which is controlled by the Houthi movement in Yemen.
The move comes amid tensions between the United States and Iran over the re-drafting of a nuclear deal.
The U.S. Department of Justice says the United States has seized 33 Iranian-run radio and television stations (IRTVU) and three other Iranian-run Kataib Hezbollah affiliates.
The Department of Justice said the addresses used by IRTVU were owned by a US company and that IRTVU had not received permission from the US Treasury Department prior to use. Kataib Hezbollah is recognized by the United States as a terrorist organization.
The Houthi movement in Yemen has confirmed US actions has impacted its almasirah.net.
Iran supports the Houthis, who control much of western Yemen, but has denied providing weapons.
Most of the domain names captured were .com, .net and .tv. The .com and .net addresses are general domains that are not limited to a particular country.
Several of the pages were back online again within hours with new headlines after using local domains.
The Iranian government has not commented on the move by the US Department for Justice.
