The United States has added Hezbollah's al-Manar television station to its list of terrorist organisations, saying it incites violence in the Middle East.
The designation comes less than a week after France banned broadcasts of al-Manar's satellite channel.
The station is backed by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, already considered by the US a "foreign terrorist organization".
Anyone linked to the station could face action, the State Department warned.
"For example, an alien would be found inadmissible ... if the alien is a member of al-Manar, if a person solicits funds or other things of value for al-Manar, if he provides material support to al-Manar or solicits any individual for membership in al-Manar," State Dept spokesman Richard Boucher said.
Mr Boucher denied the US decision had been made under Israeli pressure.
"It's not a question of freedom of speech," he said.
"It's a question of incitement to violence. And we don't see why here or anywhere else a terrorist organisation should be allowed to spread its hatred and incitement through the television airwaves."
Al-Manar's head of news, Hassan Fadlallah, told Reuters news agency the station had not been informed of the designation.
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