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IRIB chief slams West over ban on Iranian media [Press TV (Iran)](Press TV (Iran) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) "The US hatched different plots since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in order to prevent the message of the Revolution from being exported and counter the anti-arrogance thoughts of the Iranian nation," Zargahmi said on Thursday. In another blow to the freedom of speech, Spain's satellite provider Hispasat took Iran's Press TV and Hispan TV off air on December 21 and ordered Overon, a subsidiary satellite company, to stop the transmission of the two international TV channels. Overon said the ban on Press TV and Hispan TV followed a similar move by France's Eutelsat company, which had already taken several Iranian satellite channels and radio stations off air. It said the channels were removed because of "a wider interpretation of EU regulations." In November, the Hong Kong-based Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) also took Iranian channels off air in East Asia. In October, Eutelsat SA and Intelsat SA stopped the broadcast of several Iranian satellite channels, citing pressure by the European Union. The EU has, however, denied the claims by the European satellite companies. The IRIB head further pointed to bids by the government of US President Barack Obama to counter the Islamic Republic's ties with Latin America, saying, "While this region was regarded as the United States' backyard until about a decade ago, people in Latin American countries are currently familiar with the enlightening message of the Islamic Revolution." On December 28, 2012, the US president enacted the law to counter Iran's growing relations with the Latin American countries. The so-called Countering Iran in Western Hemisphere Act requires the US Department of State to develop a strategy within 180 days to "address Iran's growing hostile presence and activity" in Latin America. Major Latin American nations have enhanced their diplomatic and trade ties with Iran in recent years. The promotion of all-out cooperation with Latin American countries has been among the top priorities of the Islamic Republic's foreign policy over the past few years. Washington considers Latin America as its strategic backyard, a term used to refer to the USA's traditional areas of dominance. Zarghami also warned against enemies' plans to cause discord among Shia and Sunni Muslims and said Muslim countries can destroy the main enemy - the fake Israeli regime - through unity and integrity. SF/MA/AZ (c) 2012 Press TV. All rights reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |