Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Sunday, Apr 26, 2026

Iraq’s Pro-Iran Militia TV Active After US Seizes Website

Iraq’s Pro-Iran Militia TV Active After US Seizes Website

Readers visiting websites for Al-Etejah TV, a satellite television channel affiliated with Iraq’s Kataib Hezbollah (KH), find an unusual English-language message instead of the group’s propaganda material.
“This website has been seized,” reads the bold message placed on a red background atop two logos for the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The U.S. seizure of two domain names, “Aletejahtv.com” and “Aletejahtv.org,” last Wednesday represented the latest move by Washington against the radical Iran proxy group in cyberspace.

In 2009, the U.S. designated KH a terror group “for threatening the peace and stability of Iraq” and attacking the U.S. interests in the country.

“Once again we see designated foreign terrorist organizations turning to the internet to push their message and recruit followers for their violent causes,” said John Demers, assistant attorney general for national security, in a statement published by the Department of Justice Wednesday.

“We will continue to fight terror recruitment and propaganda efforts in the digital world, as we do elsewhere,” he added.

Some observers say it remains uncertain how effective the latest U.S. move against KH can be, given the group’s ability to regenerate propaganda content through other online platforms.

VOA confirmed that the station’s programing was still available for Iraqis to access on TV and social media websites such as YouTube on Friday.

“Removing a domain name for an Iran propaganda outlet or a militia propaganda outlet is a weak reaction,” said Bilal Wahab, an Iraq expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, adding that KH and its leaders continued to enjoy access to a large audience on social media and local television channels in Iraq.

Responding to requests from the U.S. government, social media giants such as Twitter and Facebook have regularly removed terror and extremist content online.

After an earlier temporary restriction, Twitter in June permanently suspended an account for Qais Khazali, a pro-Iran Iraqi militia leader, that had several hundred thousand followers.

But some KH leaders including its spokesman, Abu Ali al-Askari, continue to have active Twitter accounts.

“This is a disruptive cyber operation that will cause them a headache for sure,” said Dilshad Othman, a Washington-based cyber security expert, adding that KH could possibly register its website with a domain such as Iran-owned dot IR (.ir) to remain outside U.S. legal control.

It is not the first time that the U.S. government targeted websites belonging to pro-Iran militias. When it seized KH’s main website last year, the group sought to find alternative avenues.

“Rather than abandoning the internet, KH has simply moved into other areas of the internet that are less well policed than dot com websites,” Evan F. Kohlmann, a New York based counterterrorism expert who formerly worked for the FBI, told VOA.

He added that the group continues to enjoy “a flourishing presence” on encrypted platforms such as Telegram. The cloud-based chat service has also for years been a major home for the Islamic State and other banned groups.

KH’s founding leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis was killed in January in a U.S drone strike that targeted and killed Iran’s powerful military general Qassem Soleimani.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
News Roundup
Strategic Saudi-Bahrain Causeway Closed Amid Security Concerns as Trump Deadline Approaches
Saudi Arabia Keeps Red Sea Oil Exports Flowing Despite Regional Tensions
Pipeline Attack Cuts Significant Share of Saudi Arabia’s Oil Export Capacity
Saudi Business Leader Abudawood Appointed Chairman of Merit Incentives Group
TotalEnergies Confirms Damage at Saudi Refinery Following Security Incident
Saudi Arabia Launches Early Construction Phase for King Salman Stadium Project
Saudi Shift Away from Longstanding Dollar Oil Framework Gains Attention Amid Iran Conflict
Türkiye and Saudi Arabia Resolve Long-Running Transit Visa Dispute
Saudi Oil Capacity and Pipeline Flows Reduced as Supply Risks Intensify
TotalEnergies Reports Damage to Saudi SATORP Refinery Following Security Incidents
Gulf States Assess Prospects of U.S.-Iran Truce as Regional Stability Efforts Intensify
South Korea Resumes Honey Exports to Saudi Arabia Following Sanitary Approval
Saudi Arabia Carries Out Sentences in Eastern Province Following Security Convictions
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Backs King Street’s Regional Credit Strategy
Saudi Arabia Secures World Cup Return as Egypt Celebrates Landmark Qualification
Iran and Saudi Arabia Intensify Diplomatic Engagement Amid Regional Tensions
Russia and Saudi Arabia Open Visa-Free Travel Corridor for Citizens
Saudi Oil Output Capacity Reduced by 600,000 Barrels Per Day Amid Regional Conflict
Saudi Arabia Suspends Operations at Select Energy Sites as Precautionary Measure
Saudi Arabia Halts Operations at Multiple Energy Facilities Amid Heightened Tensions
Global Markets Jolt as Iran Signals Ceasefire Breakdown and Rising Regional Tensions
King Street Aligns with Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund to Expand Alternative Investments in Middle East
Attack on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Petrochemical Hub Raises Global Supply Concerns
Debate Emerges Over Saudi Strategic Decisions as Gulf Cooperation Council Dynamics Come Into Focus
Saudi Arabia Expands Full Workforce Localisation to 69 Professions in Major Labour Reform
Emerging Alliance of Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia Signals New Regional Power Dynamic Amid Iran Conflict
Iran Linked to Strikes Across Gulf States Following Refinery Attack Escalation
Saudi Arabia Voices Concern Over Fragile US–Iran Ceasefire Stability
Starmer Warns Sustained Effort Needed to Ensure US–Iran Ceasefire Holds
Saudi Arabia’s Key East-West Oil Pipeline Targeted Following Ceasefire Announcement
Iran Targets Saudi Arabia’s East-West Oil Pipeline in Escalating Regional Tensions
Trump Warns of Civilizational Stakes as Iran Halts Negotiations
Saudi Companies Expand Remote Work Measures Ahead of Iran-Related Security Concerns
Iran Warns of Strikes on Saudi Energy Infrastructure if US Targets Its Facilities
Iran Urges Civilians to Form Human Shields Around Nuclear Sites as Diplomatic Deadline Approaches
Saudi Arabia Raises Oil Prices to Record Premiums Amid Supply Pressures Linked to Iran Conflict
Key Saudi-Bahrain Causeway Closed Amid Heightened Security Concerns Linked to Iran
Formula One Calendar Gap Explained as Fans Await Next Grand Prix
Growing Strain on the Petrodollar System Comes Into Focus Amid Iran Conflict
Reported Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Complex Raises Global Energy Supply Concerns
FedEx Introduces New Digital Tool to Streamline Imports into Saudi Arabia
Iran Claims Strike on Saudi Arabia’s Jubail Petrochemical Complex Amid Rising Regional Tensions
Taiwan to Source Oil Shipments from Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Ports
Saudi Arabia Evacuates Riyadh Financial District as Precaution Amid Regional Tensions
Saudi Arabia Balances Ambitious Economic Vision Amid Regional Tensions and Financial Pressures
Budget Saudi Arabia Reports Strong Full-Year 2025 Financial Performance
Saudi Arabia Expands Investment in Capcom With Stake Reaching Six Percent
Saudi Arabia Assesses Significant Economic Impact From Regional Conflict Involving Iran
US Beef Secures Expanded Market Access in Saudi Arabia
×