In a brazen cyberattack, hackers disrupted satellite transmissions of Iranian state television early Monday, broadcasting footage supporting the country's exiled crown prince and calling on security forces to side with the people. This incident marks a significant escalation in the ongoing information war surrounding nationwide protests, which activists claim have led to a brutal crackdown and thousands of deaths.
Details of the State TV Hijack
The hack occurred on Sunday night, with the footage airing across multiple channels broadcast by satellite from the state-controlled Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). The broadcast featured two clips of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah who fled during the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The video also showed individuals in what appeared to be Iranian police uniforms. It claimed, without providing evidence, that some security personnel had “laid down their weapons and swore an oath of allegiance to the people.” A graphic displayed during the broadcast carried a direct message: “This is a message to the army and security forces. Don't point your weapons at the people. Join the nation for the freedom of Iran.”
In the hacked broadcast, Pahlavi directly addressed the military, stating, “I have a special message for the military. You are the national army of Iran, not the Islamic Republic army... You don’t have much time left. Join the people as soon as possible.”
Mounting Tensions and a Soaring Death Toll
The cyberattack coincides with a severe government crackdown on protests that began on 28 December. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported on Sunday that the death toll had reached at least 3,919 people, warning the figure is likely to rise as information slowly filters out from a country under a severe internet shutdown.
Iranian officials have not provided a clear official toll. However, in a significant admission on Saturday 17 January, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the protests had left “several thousand” people dead, while blaming the United States for the casualties. This death toll exceeds that of any major unrest in Iran for decades.
The semiofficial Fars news agency, close to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, quoted a statement from IRIB acknowledging a momentary signal disruption “by an unknown source” but did not discuss the content that was aired.
Regional and International Fallout
Diplomatic tensions between Washington and Tehran remain critically high. Former US President Donald Trump had previously outlined red lines concerning the killing of peaceful protesters. In a related military development, ship-tracking data analysed by The Associated Press on Monday showed the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group transiting the Strait of Malacca.
The carrier, recently operating in the South China Sea, was on a route that could take it towards the Middle East, accompanied by several guided-missile destroyers. The region has been without a US carrier group, complicating potential military discussions. Multiple US media reports, citing anonymous officials, confirmed the Lincoln was headed for the Middle East, though it would still require several days of travel before its aircraft were in range.
This is not the first hack of Iranian airwaves. In 1986, the CIA reportedly assisted Pahlavi's allies with a clandestine broadcast. More recently, in 2022, channels were hacked to show exiled opposition group leaders. The latest breach, shared on social media possibly via Starlink terminals circumventing the internet blackout, underscores the persistent digital battlefield surrounding Iran's political crisis.
