Iran's parliament approved legislation that criminalizes interviews with U.S. and Israeli media outlets [1, 2].
The move represents a significant escalation in the state's efforts to control the flow of information and isolate its citizens from foreign narratives. By targeting specific nationalities of media organizations, the government seeks to eliminate platforms that it perceives as tools for foreign intelligence or regime change.
The Islamic Consultative Assembly voted on the bill this past Sunday [2]. Lawmakers in Tehran said the measure is necessary to curb hostile foreign influence and protect national security [1, 2]. The law specifically targets interactions with media from the U.S. and Israel, which the government views as primary adversaries.
Under the new rules, individuals found guilty of providing interviews to these outlets face severe penalties. The legislation allows for prison terms of up to 30 years [3]. This penalty is among the most stringent for communication-related offenses in the region.
Officials said the influence of these foreign entities is hostile [2]. The parliament said that such interviews can be used to spread misinformation, or facilitate foreign interference in domestic Iranian affairs.
The bill comes as the government continues to tighten its grip on digital communications and press freedom. While the legislation focuses on U.S. and Israeli outlets, it creates a legal precedent that could be expanded to other foreign media organizations deemed unfriendly to the state.
“Iran's parliament approved legislation that criminalizes interviews with U.S. and Israeli media outlets.”
This legislation signals a shift toward formalizing the criminalization of soft-power interactions. By imposing a 30-year maximum sentence, Iran is moving beyond censorship and into a phase of high-stakes deterrence, effectively treating journalistic cooperation as an act of espionage or treason to ensure total state control over national discourse.
