Iran parliament moves to criminalise US, Israeli media interviews

Iran's parliament has approved the broad framework of legislation that would criminalise interviews and participation in discussions with media outlets deemed hostile to the Islamic Republic, including US and Israeli media. The general principles of the bill were approved by lawmakers on Sunday, according to Iranian newspaper Shargh, but the details have not yet been finalised.

Osman Salari, a member of parliament's judicial and legal commission, told Iran's Mizan news agency that individual provisions still need to be debated and voted on, and cautioned against treating reports about specific measures as final. Under the proposed legislation, violations could carry prison terms of six months to two years. The bill would also impose restrictions on contact with foreign embassies and organisations, require notification to the intelligence ministry for interviews with non-hostile foreign media, and introduce penalties of up to 30 years in prison for policy or legislative proposals made at the direction of foreign intelligence services if deemed a threat to Iran's security.

The proposed restrictions follow legislation passed in 2025 after Iran's 12-day war with Israel, which introduced tougher penalties for alleged cooperation with states considered hostile. The bill will now be debated article by article in parliament. If approved, it will be sent to the Guardian Council for review before becoming law.