US seizes websites of Iraqi militia-affiliated news outlet

The US government has seized control of Iraqi news sites affiliated with Iran-backed militias in the country. The seizure follows the United States also taking over the websites of energy companies that allegedly facilitated a deal to deliver Iranian fuel to Venezuela.

On Wednesday, the US Department of Justice announced that the United States seized the websites Aletejahtv.com and Aletejahtv.org. Clicking on both website addresses now brings up a page reading, “This website has been seized” above the US Department of Commerce emblem.

The Department of Justice said the websites are affiliated with Kataib Hezbollah, which is an Iran-backed militia in Iraq that the United States designates as a terrorist organization. The government was able to gain control of the websites because federal law prohibits designated terrorist organizations from utilizing services in the United States without a license from the Department of the Treasury. The seized domain names are owned and operated by a company based in Arizona, the Department of Justice said in a press release.

A Department of Justice spokesperson told Al-Monitor that the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia carried out the seizure. The office did not respond to a request for comment. There are several web services companies in Scottsdale, Arizona, where the government said the business hosting Aletejahtv.com is based.