A cyberattack on Iranian state television has disrupted satellite transmissions, with hackers broadcasting footage supporting the country’s exiled crown prince. The incident coincides with a brutal crackdown by authorities on ongoing nationwide protests, which activists claim have resulted in at least 3,919 deaths.
The hacked footage, aired across multiple channels on Sunday night, featured two clips of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. It also included footage of security forces, with a graphic urging them to “not point your weapons at the people” and to “join the nation for the freedom of Iran.”
The semiofficial Fars news agency acknowledged the disruption to the state broadcaster’s signal, but did not comment on the content that was aired. Pahlavi’s office confirmed the hack but did not respond to questions.
This is not the first time Iranian airwaves have been disrupted. In 1986, the CIA reportedly supplied Pahlavi’s allies with a miniaturized television transmitter for a clandestine broadcast. In 2022, multiple channels aired footage of leaders from the exiled opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq and a graphic calling for the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The latest hack comes as tensions remain high between Tehran and Washington. Ship-tracking data shows the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, along with other US military vessels, passing through the Strait of Malacca, potentially en route to the Middle East. This follows the carrier’s recent presence in the South China Sea as a deterrent to China over tensions with Taiwan.
The death toll from the crackdown on the protests in Iran has exceeded 3,919, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Iranian officials have acknowledged several thousand deaths, with Supreme Leader Khamenei blaming the US for the casualties.
The ongoing unrest in Iran, sparked by economic woes, has posed a significant challenge to the country’s leadership. The latest cyberattack on state media, along with the potential deployment of US naval forces, suggests the situation remains volatile and unpredictable.
