Iran’s ability to broadcast to the Arab world, in Arabic, has taken a hit, according to this piece from Radio Netherlands. Both the Egyptian Nilesat and the Gulf Arab States’ Arabsat have stopped transmitting the Al Alam programming. Whether it is the Arab governments’ desire to keep Iranian propaganda off their satellites or the more benign ‘contractual difficulties’, the result is that Iran’s voice will be quieter

Iran’s Al Alam TV says dropped by Arab satellites
Andy Sennitt

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.
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