US seizes 13 domains linked to Hezbollah

Domain of Lebanese TV station among those seized by Justice Department

The headquarters of Washington's US Department of Justice, which said no licence was obtained for the domains seized on Thursday. Reuters

The US on Thursday seized 13 domains used by Hezbollah and its associates, the Justice Department said in a statement.

Among those seized by the department was the domain for Al Manar TV, a Lebanese channel associated with Hezbollah. Seven domains registered to Verisign Inc were among the 13.

The department announced it also seized five domains registered to the Public Interest Registry.

“Today’s seizure reduces Hezbollah's ability to peddle their dangerous violent ideology across the globe,” said Matthew Axelrod, assistant secretary for export enforcement at the Department of Commerce.

It said entities on its Specially Designated Nationals and Specially Designated Global Terrorists lists may not obtain services in the US without a licence from the Office of Foreign Assets Control. The Justice Department said no licence was obtained for any of the domains seized on Thursday.

Domain names registered in the US are subject to being seized, with those domains and rights becoming the US government's property thereafter.

The US in 2020 seized 92 domains affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.