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US seize 36 Iranian-linked news website domains and Iran condemn the seizures

NBC reported that the U.S. Justice Department on Tuesday seized 36 Iranian-linked news website domains, accusing them of spreading disinformation, amid continued tensions between Tehran and Washington. Iran condemn
According to the NBC, the Justice Department said 33 of the seized websites, owned by a U.S.-based company, were used by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union (IRTVU), which it said was among components of the Iranian government targeting the United States with disinformation campaigns and malign influence operations.
The department's statement added, three other seized websites were operated by one of the main Iran-aligned Iraqi militia groups, Kata’ib Hizballah, which more than a decade ago was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S.
The Iranian state-run news agency IRNA called the seizures “an illegal act” and “terroristic policy” against independent media, while Iranian president's chief of staff Mahmoud Vaezi told reporters Wednesday he condemned the seizures.
According to the Justice Department's statement, IRTVU was designated as a so-called "Specially Designated National" (SDN) for being owned or controlled by Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard in October. Iran condemn
The department said SDNs are prohibited from obtaining services, including website and domain services, in the United States without a license. IRTVU did not obtain a license prior to utilizing the domain names, it added.
According to the department, the domains operated by Kata’ib Hizballah were also owned by a United States company, and the organization also did not obtain a license prior to utilizing the domain names.
On Tuesday, notices of the seizures started popping up in English and Arabic on a number of Iran-affiliated websites.
The sites seized included Press TV, the Iranian government's main English-language television channel, and Al-Alam, its Arabic-language equivalent.
Both still had a banner up on their homepages Wednesday morning, saying they were seized by the U.S. government. But they were back online using Iranian domain addresses Alalam.ir and Presstv.ir.
Similar notices also appeared on the website of Lualua TV, an Arabic-language Bahraini news channel that broadcasts from the U.K., and Yemen’s Masirah TV, run by Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
It’s not the first time that the U.S. has seized the domain names of sites it accuses of spreading disinformation.
Last October, the Department of Justice announced the takedown of nearly 100 website used by the Revolutionary Guards. It said the sites, operating under the guise of genuine news outlets, were waging a “global disinformation campaign” to influence U.S. policy and spread Iranian propaganda around the world.
Tuesday's seizures come just days after hardliner Ebrahim Raisi was elected as Iran's new president and as world powers try to resurrect the 2015 nuclear accord. Iran condemn
Source: NBC
Image source: AFP - Getty Images-NBC
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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