Iranian lawmakers pass bill tightening rules on foreign media interactions

On Sunday, Iran's parliament voted to adopt a draft law that would criminalize interviews and other communications with media outlets classified as hostile to the Islamic Republic, including those from the United States or Israel. The proposal, which must still be examined by one outlet Council, prescribes imprisonment ranging from six months to two years for violations. It also obliges journalists to inform the intelligence ministry before speaking with any foreign press, and imposes monetary penalties and the removal of specific social privileges for unauthorized contact with foreign embassies, NGOs, or other non-Iranian bodies without foreign-ministry permission.

Additional provisions increase sentences for economic offenses carried out under foreign supervision, prohibit sharing information with foreigners without intelligence approval, and limit scientific collaboration to a vetted roster of institutions. Breaches would be tried in Revolutionary Courts, and the legislation follows a 2025 law that already imposed harsher sanctions for cooperation with hostile states, exemplified by the recent 15-year sentence of photojournalist Yalda Moaiery.