Iran newspaper shut down after angering Revolutionary Guard

TEHRAN, Iran – An independent newspaper in Iran says authorities shut it down following complaints from the Revolutionary Guard.

The Ghanoon newspaper says in a statement on its website Monday that Tehran’s prosecutor ordered it to halt operations based on allegations of “libel and spreading lies to create public anxiety.” The statement did not elaborate.

An article published in the newspaper in February criticized the Guard’s handling of the detention of 10 U.S. Navy sailors who were seized the month before and held for around 15 hours.

The newspaper compared video footage showing the detained sailors kneeling to Islamic State videos showing the beheading of captives.

At the time, Revolutionary Guard commander Mohammad Ali Jafari had called the article “a big mistake” and said Ghanoon “must repent for what it has said.”