Iran’s parliament backs bill criminalizing contact with foreign media

Iran’s parliament approved the general framework of a bill Sunday that would make it a crime to give interviews or engage in other communication with media outlets considered hostile to the Islamic Republic, including American or Israeli outlets and any media funded by either country, according to Iran’s Shargh newspaper.

Osman Salari, a member of parliament’s judicial and legal commission, said individual provisions within the bill, which aims to counter what officials describe as foreign intelligence influence, still require separate debate and approval. He told the Mizan news agency that details reported so far about the bill should not be treated as final.

Under the proposed legislation, interviews or participation in discussions with media deemed hostile would be banned outright, with violations carrying prison terms ranging from six months to two years. Interviews with other foreign media outlets would require advance notification to the intelligence ministry, while any contact with foreign embassies, offices of foreign organizations or other non Iranian institutions, conducted without notification and written permission from the foreign ministry, would draw fines and the loss of certain social rights.

The bill would also increase penalties for economic crimes carried out under the direction or supervision of foreign actors, prohibit sharing information with foreigners without intelligence ministry approval, and limit scientific cooperation with foreign institutions to those on an approved list. It would further criminalize policy or legislative proposals made under the direction of foreign intelligence services if such proposals are found to harm Iran’s security or independence, with penalties reaching up to 30 years in prison. Cases brought under this provision would fall under the jurisdiction of Iran’s Revolutionary Courts.

Parliament will now review the bill article by article. Once lawmakers approve a final text, the legislation must still pass review by the Guardian Council before it can take effect as law.

This is not the first time Iran has moved to criminalize cooperation with foreign entities. A law passed in 2025, following a 12 day war with Israel, introduced harsher penalties for alleged cooperation with hostile states. Earlier this month, Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery was sentenced to 15 years in prison under that law over accusations that included giving interviews to media considered hostile and supplying photographs to organizations linked to the United States and Israel.