Iran has expanded restrictions on international media organisations operating in the country, directing foreign news outlets in Tehran to prevent Israeli media and overseas Farsi-language broadcasters from using their photos, videos and reports, according to media reports.
The directive was issued Tuesday by Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, which oversees media activity in the country. The order requires international news organisations to include mandatory wording on all submitted material, including photographs, video footage, reports and other media content.
According to instructions sent to several organisations, including the Associated Press, media outlets would be held responsible for any failure to comply with the directive.
Under the new rules, news organisations must specify that their material cannot be used by Israeli media outlets or Farsi-language television channels operating outside Iran. Authorities in Iran have long barred international media groups from sharing content with broadcasters such as BBC Persian, VOA Persian, Manoto TV and Iran International, warning that violations could result in closure of their operations inside the country.
The move comes three months after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran escalated into a wider regional conflict that continues to flare intermittently. On Tuesday, Iran criticised recent U.S. strikes, calling them a sign of Washington’s “bad faith and unreliability”, despite claims by President Donald Trump that a peace agreement could be near.
Iran already enforces strict controls on the media. The Washington-based watchdog Freedom House classifies the country’s media environment as “not free”, citing state control over television broadcasting, harassment and arrests of journalists, restrictions on satellite dishes and repeated shutdowns of internet access.
Despite the curbs, many overseas Farsi-language media outlets continue to access images and videos released by Iranian state media through websites and messaging applications.
