The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance on Tuesday announced further restrictions on distribution of news from Iran, commanding international outlets, including the Associated Press, to restrict use of their content by Israeli media.
The ministry, which oversees media activity in the country, issued a directive to a group of international media outlets based in Tehran and specified mandatory language to be included on “all submitted content, including photos, videos, reports, and other media productions”.
“Responsibility for failing to comply with this directive rests with the submitting media outlet,” read the notice.
Iran has long banned international media from sharing certain content with BBC Persian, VOA Persian, Manoto TV and Iran International at the risk of having their operations shut down in the country. However, many Farsi-language news outlets abroad still manage to get access to images and videos released by Iranian state media through different websites and messaging apps.
The Iranian state media typically delivers updates on the affairs of the country and the ongoing negotiations with the United States, along with official information from the administration. Some state-run publishing houses also provide English-language versions of their articles.
The Washington-based group Freedom House accused Iran of not having a free and independent media, highlighting that all television channels are controlled by rigid followers of the Islamic regime and those working in other outlets face harassment and arrest.
Iran had also banned satellite dishes though many have them to watch Farsi-language channels abroad. Access to internet outside the nation had also been restricted since the beginning of the war, cutting off its citizens’ contact with the outside world and raising their reliance on state-sponsored media for information. President Masoud Pezeshkian reportedly ordered the restoration of international internet access on Monday after a high-level meeting involing Iran’s Cyber Space Steering and Organising Headquarters.
