US government announces seizure of 92 Iran-linked websites

The US government seized the domains of 92 websites allegedly operated by the Iranian government, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday. The websites were hosted by US companies and spread disinformation to American and international audiences, according to the department.

“Iran cannot be allowed to hide behind fake news sites,” said David Anderson, the US attorney for the Northern District of California, in a press release.

The move came a day before the United States announced new sanctions on Iran’s financial industry.

Four of the websites were operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to target US audiences and portrayed themselves as independent news outlets. The others focused on the Middle East, Western Europe and Southeast Asia, according to the Department of Justice. The web pages now show a Department of Justice notice reading “THIS WEBSITE HAS BEEN SEIZED."