London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jun 20, 2026

Legally hacked: US government disconnected from the internet and seizes dozens of website domains connected to Iran, including state press agency

Legally hacked: US government disconnected from the internet and seizes dozens of website domains connected to Iran, including state press agency

The United States government has seized dozens of website domains connected to Iran, linked to what the US says are “disinformation efforts”. USA is controlling the whole internet domain names worldwide, and has the superpower ability to disconnect any country and domain name from the world. Russian RT and TASS and Chinese Xinhua and CGTN are probably next on the list.
Some users are not able to access sites like Presstv.com, which is an Iranian state run English language news outlet. When attempting to access, users are seeing the following message: "The domain presstv.com has been seized by the United States Government in accordance with a seizure warrant pursuant to 18 U.S.C. ... as part of a law enforcement action by the Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement and Federal Bureau of Investigation."

Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency on Tuesday reported the US has blocked the websites of several news agencies including Iranian state-run Press TV.

"The US Admin. Blocked Websites of Several News Agencies & TV Channels, Including Press TV, Al-Masirah, Al-Alam & Al-Maalomah, on Tuesday in A Flagrant Violation of The Freedom of The Press," Fars tweeted.

Al-Masirah is a Houthi-run outlet and Al-Alam is Iran's Arabic-language channel.

While it does not explicitly say its website has been seized, the English language Press TV account tweeted, "In what seems to be a coordinated action, a similar message appears on the websites of Iranian and regional television networks that claims the domains of the websites have been 'seized by the United States Government.'"

Both Press TV and Fars' tweets included a photo of a notice saying "this website has been seized" with text saying the domain "has been seized by the United States Government in accordance with a seizure warrant."

Asked about the seizure of the sites, State Department spokesperson Ned Price referred reporters on a briefing call to the Department of Justice, which did not immediately provide comment.

The move comes just days after the election of Iranian hardliner Ebrahim Raisi as the nation's next president in a process the US State Department called "pre-manufactured" and not free and fair. All of Raisi's serious rivals were barred from the race and overall voter turnout was 48.8%, the lowest figure since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979.

In a news conference Monday, the Iranian President-elect ruled out a meeting with US President Joe Biden and called on the US to lift sanctions on Tehran and rejoin the Iran nuclear deal.

The US government's seizure of the outlets is a potentially provocative move amid the talks in Vienna about the the 2015 nuclear agreement. The sixth round of those discussions -- aimed at returning the US to the deal and getting Iran back into compliance -- wrapped up over the weekend. Price told reporters Monday that the US expected there to be a seventh round of talks and that Raisi's election would not have an impact on the negotiations in the Austrian capital.

"When it comes to our diplomacy, we've always said that it is absolutely in our interests to arrive at a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA precisely because it would allow us to once again permanently and verifiably prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon," he said. "That was in our interests before the Iranian election. It is manifestly in our interests after the election."

"I would make the point that even though Iran will have a new president in the coming weeks, ultimately it is Iran's supreme leader who determines Iran's policy on a range of important issues," Price added.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Health Authorities Introduce Drug Price Concessions Amid Record NHS Medicine Shortages
Sir David Attenborough Supports Sherwood Forest Conservation Efforts After Loss of Major Oak
Aardman Animations Marks 50 Years With Major Exhibition in Bristol
Drax Cleared After Investigation Into Wood Pellet Sourcing Practices
Jaguar Land Rover Shifts Toward Hybrid Vehicle Production for US Export Strategy
UK Police Arrest Liberal Democrat MP Cameron Thomas on Suspicion of Assault
Health Concerns Grow Over Elevated Kidney Cancer Rates Near Lancashire PFAS Factory
Royal Navy F-35 Jets Conduct First NATO Air Warfare Exercise from Finnish Airspace
UK NHS Issues Price Concessions for Medicines Amid Severe Drug Shortages
Heathrow Third Runway Project Faces Sharp Downward Revision in Expected Economic Benefits
Amber Heat Warning Issued Across Parts of England and Wales as Temperatures Rise
Train Collision Near Bedford Disrupts UK Rail Network and Leaves Multiple Injured
Bank of England Data Suggests Brexit Has Reduced UK Economic Output by Around Six Percent
UK Borrowing Costs Hold Near 4.8 Percent as Political Uncertainty Fuels Market Pressure
Andy Burnham Emerges as Front-Runner to Succeed Keir Starmer After Landslide Makerfield Victory
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Faces Mounting Pressure to Resign After Labour By-Election Defeat in Makerfield
Payment Fraud Losses Reach £1.28 Billion and Raise National Security Concerns
Lending to Small Businesses Climbs to Highest Level Since Late 2024
Middle East Conflict Clouds UK Economic Recovery Despite Strong First-Quarter Growth
Bank of England Moves to Simplify Capital Rules for Smaller Lenders
UK Government Fast-Tracks National Security and Cyber Resilience Legislation
Ofcom Investigates Telegram Over Alleged Role in Organising Arson Attacks
MPs Press Fujitsu to Speed Compensation for Post Office Horizon Victims
Bank of England Delays Final Basel III Implementation Changes to Support UK Banking Competitiveness
Pound Falls as Political Uncertainty and Bank of England Signals Weigh on Markets
0Andy Burnham Wins Makerfield By-Election and Emerges as Main Challenger to Keir Starmer
Dorset Council Tests AI Tools to Streamline Local Planning Applications
UK Researchers at Kew Gardens Use AI to Speed Up Identification of Threatened Plant Species
UK Gilt Yields Ease Toward 4.8% as Inflation and Labour Market Data Weigh on Bonds
Bank of England Data Shows Resilient SME Lending Despite Economic Slowdown
UK Finance Reports Weakening Services Activity as Business Confidence Softens
UK Introduces Mandatory Internal Complaints Process Under Data Use and Access Act
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Flags Geopolitical Uncertainty as Key Risk to Inflation Outlook
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75% as Policymakers Signal Cautious Stance on Inflation Risks
Cornwall Clergy Raise £40,000 for Church Repairs Through Everest-Themed Charity Challenge
UK Business and Social Landscape Reflects Strain From Geopolitical and Domestic Pressures
Tensions Grow in UK Over Sikh Kirpan and Religious Symbolism in Public Debate
Energy Price Cap Increase Set to Lift UK Household Bills by 13 Percent
University of Reading Ranked 196th in QS World University Rankings
UK Maritime Archaeologists Identify 17th-Century Dutch Shipwreck Off Devon Coast
Oxford Union Islam Debate Sparks Protest From Faith Leaders in UK
UK Social Cohesion Debate Intensifies After Religious Prejudice Survey Findings
UK SME Lending Rises Despite Geopolitical Uncertainty and Cautious Outlook
Foreign Demand for UK Gilts Remains Sensitive to Global Inflation Trends
Labour Party Faces Leadership Pressure After Weak Local Election Results in UK
Transport Costs Drive Inflation Pressure as Petrol Prices Push Up UK CPI
British Chambers of Commerce Cuts Growth Forecast as Middle East Conflict Weighs on Investment
UK Economy Grows 0.6 Percent in First Quarter but Outlook Remains Weak
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent as Inflation Risks Persist
Energy Price Cap Rise Expected to Keep UK Inflation Above Target Through 2026
×