AP: Iranian authorities have ordered the temporary closure of a semiofficial news agency, Fars, for false reporting and disturbing public opinion.
The Associated Press
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian authorities have ordered the temporary closure of a semiofficial news agency, Fars, for false reporting and disturbing public opinion.
The report by Iran's state news agency, IRNA, does not elaborate. But a governmental news Web site, Borna, says the agency was closed on Monday for three days. Borna says Fars carried a report that the head of Iran's Central Bank, Tahmasb Mazaheri, had been replaced by first vice president Parviz Davoodi.
Authorities later denied the report of the replacement, and Fars reported the denial.
Calls to Fars were not returned on Monday.
Iran has seen a wave of media closures and jail of dozens of editors and writers on vague charges of insulting since 2000.
