Alwaght-The US administration has seized the web domains of a series of political and religious television networks mostly belonging to Shiites with resistance approach.
In what seems to be a coordinated action, a similar message has appeared on the websites of the television networks that claimed their domains have been “seized by the United States Government.”
The notice, which appeared late Tuesday on the website of English-language television news network Press TV as well as a number of other Iranian and regional news channels, cited US sanctions laws for the seizure and was accompanied by the seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Department of Commerce.
"The domain presstv.com has been seized by the United States Government in accordance with a seizure warrant...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 read.
The websites of Iran's Arabic-language Al Alam television news network, Yemen’s al-Masirah TV channel and Bahrain's Lualua television network were also among the targeted outlets.
Al-Masirah, owned by Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement, was also seized by the Americans.
In a statement released through the YSC, Al Masirah said it was “not surprised” by the apparent seizure, as it “comes from those that have supervised the most heinous crimes against our people.”
The“ban” on the website “reveals, once again, the falsehood of the slogans of freedom of expression and all the other headlines promoted by the United States of America, including its inability to confront the truth,” the outlet said.
Several other Shiite Muslim media outlets, in places as far as Azerbaijan and Nigeria, also displayed the seizure notice on Tuesday, prompting observers to speculate the crackdown could be an attack on Shiite sites, “both religious and political.”
Over the past years, the US has for several times taken similar measures against media outlets that propagate resistance ideology in the face of Western imperialism, including Alwaght News and Analysis Website that its .com domain has been seized early on April by Washington and now is run at .net domain.
