Biden-Harris administration lifts sanctions on Iranian state-controlled media corporation

The Biden-Harris administration exempted the Iranian state-controlled broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), from sanctions. As reported by The Washington Free Beacon, the State Department informed Congress that it will continue to allow IRIB to conduct financial transactions to keep its television, radio and news services in operation.

"The Biden-Harris administration's appeasement of the Iranian regime knows no bounds, even while the regime and its proxies are launching daily attacks against American troops and our allies," Sen. Ted Cruz said, adding: "The administration has allowed over $100 billion to flow to the Ayatollah, which he pours into nuclear development, terrorism, and propaganda, all of which is also supposed to be subject to sanctions—which the administration is also waiving or refusing to enforce."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed off on the waiver under which Iran's state broadcaster will be able to conduct financial transactions.

Iran analyst for the think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Behnam Ben Taleblu, told the Washington Free Beacon that by lifting sanctions on IRIB, the United States is making it easier for Tehran to export its radical ideology: "At a time when the nexus between Tehran’s anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism couldn’t be any clearer, or more lethal, providing sanctions waivers for Iranian state broadcasters to spread their regime’s invective and propaganda is morally corrosive, politically dubious, and a strategic own goal."