US seizes 33 Iranian websites used for disinformation

WASHINGTON - In a campaign geared towards spreading disinformation and misinforming the public, the United States has seized at least 33 websites used by Tehran to discredit efforts of seeking truth around the world.

The two nations have been embroiled in online and offline wars, which have often degenerated into nasty exchanges, including last year's killing of a top general in Iran and subsequent downing it a passenger plane belonging to Ukraine.

Most of these websites were held by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union [IRTVU] which is reportedly run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp’s Quds Force [IRGC], authorities in Washington said.

“Components of the government of Iran … disguised as news organizations or media outlets targeted the United States with disinformation campaigns and malign influence operations,” the Justice Department said in a statement.

The foreign ministry of Iran on Wednesday called the seizure an example of a “systematic effort to distort freedom of speech on a global level and silence independent voices in media”.

Saeed Khatibzadeh, the spokesperson of the department said in a statement that it was a “shameful” move by Washington shows that the Biden administration is continuing former President Donald Trump’s path, and vowed Iran will pursue the issue through legal channels.

Both IRTVU and IRGC have been placed on the US sanctions blacklist, making it illegal for Americans, US companies, and foreign or non-American companies with US subsidiaries to have business with them or their subsidiaries, Al-Jazeera reported.

Visitors to leading Iranian media sites such as Press TV and Al-Alam, the country’s main English language, and Arabic language broadcasters, as well as the Al-Masirah TV channel of Yemen’s Houthis, were met with single-page statements on Wednesday, declaring the website “has been seized by the United States Government” accompanied by the seals of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Commerce Department.

Kataeb Hezbollah, the Iraqi group which owned three sites that were seized, is a military faction with close ties to Tehran that Washington has formally designated a terror group.

The US government also took over the domain name of the news website Palestine Today, which reflects the viewpoints of Gaza-based groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad, redirecting the site to the same notice.

Bahrain’s LuaLua TV, a channel run by opposition groups with offices in London and Beirut, was also seized by the US.

State-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting [IRIB[ accused the United States of repressing freedom of expression and joining forces with Israel and Saudi Arabia “to block pro-resistance media outlets exposing the crimes of US allies in the region”.

GAROWE ONLINE