Iran’s Arabic-language television network Al Alam said yesterday that it had been taken off the air by Arab satellite operators based in Egypt and Saudi Arabia without explanation. The move highlights long-simmering tensions between Shi’ite Muslim Iran and several US-allied Sunni Muslim Arab countries that analysts say are worried about a rise in Tehran’s influence in the region through Shi’ite minorities.
“The Saudi-based Arabsat network and Nilesat in Cairo have taken the Arabic-language network off air,” a statement on the Iranian channel’s website said. “The technical section of Al Alam reported on Tuesday that the Iranian network’s officials have contacted the officials running the two satellite operators, but have received no response,” it said.
Egypt’s state news agency MENA said the operators of Nilesat and Arabsat stopped broadcasting Al Alam citing a contractual breach without elaborating. Nilesat Chief Executive Ahmed Anis confirmed that his firm had dropped Al Alam due to an unspecified breach of contract.
A spokesman at Arabsat’s headquarters in Riyadh was not available for comment. The operator is owned by a group of Arab countries. Al Alam has followed the Yemeni government’s war with Shi’ite rebels in north Yemen, reporting regularly on statements by the rebels who have accused Saudi Arabia of backing the government in Sanaa.
(Source: Reuters)
on Nov 5th, 2009 at 17:25
Well, Arabs and Persians have a long history of mistrust and conflict… But this coordinated move against Al Alam TV should be viewed as a part of broader info-warfare campaign to support Saudi Arabia’s possible occupation of Yemen.
Saudi aircrafts have bombed northern Yemen yesterday and today as the Saudi troops moved near the border. This is probably done with Washington’s approval as there’s very little coverage of this growing conflict in the mainstream media. Al Alam has been providing both Arab and English coverage of the Saudi involvement.
on Nov 5th, 2009 at 17:44
Very interesting. I have passed your comment on to a colleague in our Arabic department.