Iran doubles down on repression

Iran's parliament approved on Sunday the general principles of a bill that would criminalise interviews and other communications with media deemed hostile to the Islamic Republic, including U.S. or Israeli media and outlets financed by either country, Iran's Shargh newspaper reported.

Osman Salari, a member of parliament's judicial and legal commission, said the individual provisions of the bill, which is aimed at countering foreign intelligence influence, have yet to be debated and approved. Reports about the bill's details should not yet be considered final, Salari told the Mizan news agency.

Under the proposed bill, interviews or participation in discussions with such media would be banned and violations would carry six months to two years in prison.

Interviews with other foreign media would require notification to the intelligence ministry, while contact with foreign embassies, offices of foreign organisations or other non-Iranian institutions without notification and written permission from the foreign ministry would be punishable by a fine and deprivation of certain social rights.

The proposed legislation would also harden penalties for economic crimes committed under the direction or supervision of foreigners, ban providing information to foreigners without intelligence ministry approval and restrict scientific cooperation with foreign institutions outside an approved list.

It would punish policy or legislative proposals made under the direction of foreign intelligence services if they harm Iran's security or independence, with prison terms of up to 30 years. Cases would be heard by Revolutionary Courts.

The bill will be considered article by article in parliament. Once parliament approves the final text, it will have to be reviewed by the Guardian Council before becoming law.

The move is not the first time Iran has criminalised cooperation with foreign entities. A law passed in 2025 after a 12-day war with Israel imposed tougher penalties for alleged cooperation with hostile states.

Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery was sentenced this month to 15 years under that law over allegations that included giving interviews to media deemed hostile and providing photographs to U.S. and Israel-linked organisations.