US Takes Down Dozens of Iran-Linked Websites in Massive Crackdown on Misinformation

Almost three dozen of Iran's state-linked website domains were seized on Tuesday for alleged misinformation. American authorities took the action that is seemingly a massive crackdown on Iran's media websites amid a rising dispute between the two countries.

The US took down websites, the majority of which were related to Iranian misinformation, according to an official who suggested anonymity as the government had not yet disclosed the case to the public. Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA, reported the seizures but did not give further details.

The reason for the Iran-linked websites crackdown remains unclear

According to ABC News, the massive crackdown comes as other nations try to resurrect the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and days after Iran's hard-line judiciary head Ebrahim Raisi was elected. Raisi is known for his anti-Western stance and he took a tough tone during his first news conference on Monday.

He has made it clear that he will not meet with President Joe Biden, discuss Tehran's ballistic missile program, or provide aid to regional militias. These are all issues that the Biden administration wants to address in the future.

Iran is a major issue for the Biden administration. The Iranian government is currently enriching uranium to 60%. It is the highest level it has achieved. Although it is far from being weapons-grade, the country has abandoned all limits on improving uranium. Iran also supports terrorist organizations in the area, such as Yemen's Houthi and Lebanon's Hezbollah rebels, to expand its influence and oppose its rivals.

Relations between Iran and the United States have deteriorated for years as a result of then-President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and the ethical breach of sanctions imposed on the country.

After Trump's withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018, Biden made re-entry into the Iran nuclear agreement a major element of his campaign. Despite Raisi's opposition to a nuclear deal, the Biden administration is hopeful that talks will continue, underlining that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who signed the 2015 agreement, will have the last say.

Biden administration may struggle to put back US-Iran ties

The Justice Department has yet to comment on the site seizures, and it is unclear what misinformation was conveyed. With the election of court chief Ebrahim Raisi, the Biden administration's effort to re-enter Iran into a nuclear weapons deal may become more difficult. Raisi declared in his inauguration address on Monday that he had no intention of engaging with President Biden and that he would reject any future nuclear discussions, Fox News reported.

On Tuesday, after viewing the addresses of a few websites, including Iran state television's English-language arm Press TV, Yemeni Houthi-run Al-Masirah satellite news station, and Iranian state TV's Arabic-language program, Al-Alam, a federal takedown notice was sent. The websites were taken down as part of a law enforcement effort by the Office of Export Enforcement, the Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to the statement.

The US government also acquired control of the domain name PalestineToday.com. This news website promotes the Gaza-based Islamic terrorist organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and it was referred to the same takedown notice.

Notices were also placed on Iran's English-language Press TV and Lualua TV, a Bahraini independent channel broadcasting from the UK. Last October, US officials seized a network of web domains allegedly used by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Per Reuters, the US Justice Department said at the time that it had taken control of 92 domains used by the IRGC to portray independent media outlets in the United States, the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia. According to the semi-official Iranian news source YJC, the US decision proves that calls for freedom of expression are false.

The White House was unavailable for comment on how the Tuesday seizures could affect US-Iran ties. The DOJ is expected to release a statement justifying the suspension of media sites.