The Iranian parliament has passed the framework of a bill banning citizens from accepting interviews from US and Israeli media.
According to Iranian media reports, on the 16th, the Iranian parliament approved the framework of a bill that criminalizes the act of accepting interviews or communicating with media hostile to Iran, mainly including media from the United States or Israel, as well as those funded by these two countries.
Sarari, a member of the Iranian parliament's Judiciary and Legal Committee, stated that the purpose of this bill is to counter foreign influence, but its specific articles have yet to be debated and approved. According to the bill, citizens are prohibited from conducting interviews or participating in discussions with such media. Violators may face imprisonment of six months to two years.
Accepting interviews from other foreign media must be reported to the Ministry of Intelligence, and contact with foreign embassies, foreign organizations' offices, or other non-Iranian institutions without written permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will result in a fine and the deprivation of certain social rights. The bill further stipulates that acts carried out under the instructions of foreign intelligence agencies—such as proposing policies or legislative proposals that damage Iran’s security or independence—can be punished with up to 30 years in prison.