US takes down Iran-linked news sites, alleges disinformation
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — American authorities seized a range of Iran’s state-linked news website domains they accused of spreading disinformation, the U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday, a move that appeared to be a far-reaching crackdown on Iranian media amid heightened tensions between the two countries.
The Justice Department said 33 of the seized websites were used by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union, which was singled out by the U.S. government last October for what officials described as efforts to spread disinformation and sow discord among American voters ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
U.S. blocks websites linked to Iranian disinformation
DUBAI (Reuters) -The U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday it seized 36 Iranian-linked websites, many of them associated with either disinformation activities or violent organizations, taking them offline for violating U.S. sanctions.
Several of the sites were back online within hours with new domain addresses.
Iran: ‘Sabotage attack’ on civilian nuclear center thwarted
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian authorities have thwarted what they called a “sabotage attack” targeting a civilian nuclear facility near the country’s capital, state TV reported Wednesday, as details about the incident remained scarce.
The attempted attack against a building belonging to Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization “left no casualties or damages and was unable to disrupt the Iranian nuclear program,” Iranian state television reported, adding that authorities were working to identify the perpetrators.
Iranian media offered no details on the kind of attack, saying only that the move targeted a sprawling nuclear center located in Karaj city, just some 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Tehran.