U.S. Warns Against Iranian Threats to Persian-Language Media Outlets, Citing Pattern of Repression
The United States has expressed awareness of threats made by Iran's armed forces to include Persian-language media outlets, such as RFE/RL's Radio Farda, on a list of potential military targets. A State Department spokesperson highlighted Iran's "longstanding pattern of transnational censorship and repression," which includes harassment and attempted attacks against journalists and dissidents abroad. Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman for the Iranian armed forces, named Radio Farda, Iran International, BBC Persian, and Manoto, labeling their employees as "soldiers of Zionism and criminal America" and alleging connections to foreign intelligence services like the CIA and Mossad, without providing evidence. David Kramer, executive director of the George W. Bush Institute, noted that Iran's reaction underscores the significant impact these media outlets have within Iran, as the regime seeks to control information flow. The Czech Republic, where RFE/RL and Radio Farda are based, has protested thes... 
