Iran's parliament approved on Sunday the general principles of a bill that would criminalize interviews and other communications with media deemed hostile to the Islamic Republic, including US or Israeli outlets and those financed by either country, according to Iran's Shargh newspaper.
Iran parliament backs general principles of bill criminalizing contact with US, Israeli media
Iran's parliament approved on Sunday the general principles of a bill that would criminalize interviews and other communications with media deemed hostile to the Islamic Republic, including US or Israeli outlets and those financed by either country, according to Iran's Shargh newspaper.
Osman Salari, a member of parliament's judicial and legal commission, told Iranian judiciary media outlet Mizan news agency that the bill's individual provisions have not yet been debated or approved, and that reports about its details should not be considered final.
Under the proposed bill, interviews or participation in discussions with media classified as hostile would be banned, with violations carrying prison terms of six months to two years. Interviews with other foreign media would require notification to the intelligence ministry.
Contact with foreign embassies, offices of foreign organizations, or other non-Iranian institutions without notification and written permission from the foreign ministry would be punishable by a fine and deprivation of certain social rights, according to the source report.
The legislation as proposed would also harden penalties for economic crimes committed under the direction or supervision of foreigners, ban providing information to foreigners without intelligence ministry approval, restrict scientific cooperation with foreign institutions outside an approved list, and punish policy or legislative proposals made under the direction of foreign intelligence services if they pose threats to Iran's security or independence — with prison terms of up to 30 years. Cases would be heard by Revolutionary Courts.
The bill must still be considered article by article in parliament. Once the final text is approved, it would be reviewed by the Guardian Council before becoming law.
The proposed legislation follows a law passed in 2025, after a 12-day war with Israel, that imposed tougher penalties for alleged cooperation with hostile states. Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery was sentenced this month to 15 years under that law over allegations that included giving interviews to media deemed hostile and providing photographs to US and Israel-linked organizations.
- The source does not state which specific media outlets would be formally designated as hostile under the bill.
- The source does not identify which foreign institutions would appear on the approved list for scientific cooperation.
- The source does not state a timeline for the article-by-article parliamentary debate.
- The source does not include any response or comment from the Iranian government's executive branch, foreign ministry, or intelligence ministry regarding the bill.
- The source does not provide details of Yalda Moaiery's case beyond the sentence length and the general allegations cited.
Read the original at The Jerusalem Post