Iranian news websites, PressTV and Al-Alam, which are owned by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Iran's state media corporation, were reportedly seized by the US government on Tuesday. Visitors of the news sites were greeted with the seizure notice. In addition to the websites of two Iranian international media outlets, another Yemeni TV channel Al Asirah, run by Ansarullah movement, also known as the Houthis, has been seized by the US authorities.
Upon visiting the websites of the above-mentioned media outlets, the sections of the US law cited are for civil forfeiture; criminal forfeiture; Unusual and extraordinary threat; declaration of national emergency; and the exercise of Presidential authorities.
"The domain presstv.com has been seized by the United States Government in accordance with a seizure warrant issued pursuant to 18 USC §§981, 982 and 50 USC 1701-1705 as part of a law enforcement action by the Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement and Federal Bureau of Investigation," the message on PressTV's website reads.
A similar message has been displayed on the websites of Al-Alam and Al Asirah with respective names of the outlets.
Two main Iranian international news websites and a Yemeni TV channel Al Asirah have been reportedly seized by the US government citing US laws that allow civil & criminal forfeiture.
per the cited laws, civil and criminal forfeiture of property involved in "trafficking in nuclear, chemical, biological, or radiological weapons technology or material, or the manufacture, importation, sale, or distribution of a controlled substance," RT reported.
The United States government or the Biden administration has not issued a statement in this regard, hence the authenticity of the claim made on the said websites cannot be verified immediately. The possibility of a hack cannot be ruled out either at this given time.
US must lift all unjust sanctions: Raisi
The incident follows Iran's newly-elected president's appeal to the US to life all sanctions on Tehran. Ebrahim Raisi said that the US must lift "all unjust sanctions" on Tehran and abide by their commitments under the 2015 nuclear agreement.
"What I am saying to the US is that according to the nuclear deal, you were obliged to lift all sanctions and you did not. Go back and fulfil your commitments," Raisi said on Monday while addressing his first press conference as President-elect.
Raisi has become the first Iranian President to be sanctioned by the US even before assuming office as he was designated in 2019. The US blacklisted him for his role in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988 and his involvement in the crackdown on the 2009 Green Movement protests.
