Baghdad, Sept. 3 -- Iraqi authorities on Monday suspended the license of a U.S.-funded TV station for three months after it aired a program on alleged corruption within Iraq's Sunni and Shiite religious establishments.

The investigative report that aired on Saturday on Alhurra accused senior religious figures of benefiting from businesses as a result of their connections with the state.

The report triggered an outcry on social media with some politicians demanding that the station's offices in Iraq be closed down.

The Communication and Media Commission, the country's media regulator, demanded Monday a public apology from Alhurra and suspended its work for three months, accusing it of bias and defamation in its report.

In a statement, ...