Story perspectives

Iran Parliament Approves Bill Criminalizing Hostile Media Interviews

8/16/2026

Summary

Story summary

Iran's parliament approved a bill criminalising interviews with hostile media, passing with 183 votes and imposing six-month to two-year prison terms.
The draft bans interviews with U.S. or Israeli outlets, data transfers to non-Iranian media, and requires intelligence-ministry notification for other foreign media.
The bill punishes embassy contact with fines, loss of rights and Revolutionary Court trials, and bans films, plays or books contrary to Islam pending Guardian Council approval.

History

Historical Context

In 1979 Khomeini led the Islamic Revolution that overthrew Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and created a theocratic state. The new constitution, approved Dec 1979 by a 73-member Assembly of Experts, established the Guardian Council and Revolutionary Courts that swiftly closed dissenting newspapers, as seen in August 1979. Today’s bill criminalising interviews with U.S. and Israeli media follows that early press-suppression framework.

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Story summary

Iran's parliament approved a bill criminalising interviews with hostile media, passing with 183 votes and imposing six-month to two-year prison terms.
The draft bans interviews with U.S. or Israeli outlets, data transfers to non-Iranian media, and requires intelligence-ministry notification for other foreign media.
The bill punishes embassy contact with fines, loss of rights and Revolutionary Court trials, and bans films, plays or books contrary to Islam pending Guardian Council approval.

1 / 2