Iran's parliament approved the plan to criminalize interviews with "hostile" media

Iran's parliament on Sunday approved the general plan, according to which interviewing and any communication with media known as "hostile", including American and Israeli media and media funded by these two countries, will be considered a crime.

According to Reuters and Associated Press, this plan was developed with the aim of dealing with what is called "alien information penetration". According to the proposed text, participating in a conversation or interview with such media is prohibited and the punishment is six months to two years imprisonment.

General approval does not mean that the plan becomes a law. Osman Salari, a member of the judicial and legal commission of the parliament, said that the details and materials of the plan have not yet been reviewed and approved, and the published reports about its content should not be considered final. After the approval of the materials, the plan must be reviewed by the Guardian Council.

This is not the first time that cooperation with foreign institutions is criminalized in Iran. The law, which was passed in 2025 after the 12-day war with Israel, introduced heavier penalties for cooperation with hostile governments. Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moiri was sentenced to 15 years in prison this month based on the same law. His accusations included conducting interviews with hostile media and providing photos to institutions related to America and Israel.

So far, the official response of the international institutions supporting press freedom to this resolution has not been published.

Source: Reuters and Associated Press, August 16, 2026