U.S. Seizes Websites Used by Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union

WASHINGTON D.C.

This Monday, June 21, 2021 photo shows Iran’s new President-elect Ebrahim Raisi during a news conference in Tehran, Iran. Iran said Tuesday, June 22, that several state-linked news websites have been seized by the U.S. government under unclear circumstances. While there was no immediate acknowledgement of the seizures from American authorities, it comes amid the wider heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s now-tattered nuclear deal with world powers. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

The United States on Tuesday seized 33 websites used by the and three websites operated by Kata’ib Hizballah (KH), in violation of U.S. sanctions, according to officials.

On Oct. 22, 2020, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated IRTVU as a Specially Designated National (SDN) for being owned or controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force (IRGC).

SDNs are prohibited from obtaining services, including website and domain services, in the United States without an OFAC license.

OFAC’s announcement explained that components of the government of Iran, to include IRTVU and others like it, disguised as news organizations or media outlets, targeted the United States with disinformation campaigns and malign influence operations.

Thirty-three of the websites seized Tuesday were operated by IRTVU.

There are no private television or radio stations in Iran. Satellite dishes, while widespread, also are illegal. That leaves IRIB with a monopoly on domestic airwaves, according to the Associated Press.

Marzieh Hashemi, a prominent Press TV anchor who, in 2019, was arrested as a material witness in an unspecified criminal case and has appeared before a grand jury in Washington, told The Associated Press that the channel was struggling to “figure out the reasons” for the seizure.

The 33 domains are owned by a United States company. IRTVU did not obtain a license from OFAC prior to utilizing the domain names.

Three additional websites seized Tuesday were operated by KH.

On July 2, 2009, OFAC designated KH an SDN, and the Department of State designated KH a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

The announcements described KH as an Iraqi terrorist organization that committed, directed, supported or posed a significant risk of committing acts of violence against Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces.

OFAC further explained that the IRGC provides lethal support to KH and other Iraqi Shia militia groups who target and kill Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces.

The three domains operated by KH were owned by a United States company. KH did not obtain a license from OFAC prior to utilizing the domain names.

These website seizures were investigated by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement and the FBI.

The National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the seizure.