Iran’s state television channels were briefly hijacked on Sunday after anti-regime activists hacked Iran's Badr satellite, broadcasting opposition messaging and protest footage across multiple networks, The Times of Israel reported.
Exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi appeared in the unauthorised segments urging Iranians to join demonstrations and calling on security forces to side with protesters. Iran-focused outlet Iran International first reported the disruption, while Israeli media said the breach involved the Badr satellite platform. Clips were later circulated by Pahlavi’s media team.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the hijacked broadcast in the video also showed messages urging demonstrators to persist, interspersed with footage of solidarity rallies held across global cities and clips highlighting statements of support from international leaders.
The broadcast hack comes amid weeks of unrest that began on December 28 over economic hardship and escalated into nationwide anti-government protests, followed by a sweeping crackdown, mass arrests and severe internet restrictions. A US-based rights group says it has verified thousands of deaths and arrests during the violent crackdown. Iranian authorities have blamed foreign adversaries for fuelling the unrest, while US President Donald Trump has publicly condemned Tehran’s response and warned of consequences if violence continues.
Top developments from the Iran unrest
- Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian warned any US strike would draw a “harsh and regrettable” response and called an attack on the Supreme Leader “all-out war”.
- In a video message to Iranians on X, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran, said: “The battle in Iran today is between occupation and liberation. The Iranian people have called for me to lead. I will return to Iran.”
- A regional Iranian official told Reuters at least 5,000 people, including around 500 security personnel, were killed; Kurdish regions saw the deadliest clashes.
- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged “several thousand” deaths in a televised address, blaming the United States and foreign-backed “rioters”.
- Human rights groups report thousands of arrests during the crackdown.
- Iran’s judiciary said detained protesters face charges of Mohareb (waging war against God), a capital offence under Iranian law.
- US President Donald Trump called for “new leadership” in Iran and accused Khamenei of using unprecedented violence.
- Trump claimed Tehran halted planned executions of 800 detainees and thanked Iranian authorities in a social media post.
- Iran accused the US and Israel of orchestrating unrest; Pezeshkian repeated the allegation in a call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
- NetBlocks said internet access briefly returned after 238 hours of shutdown on Sunday but was reportedly cut again on Monday after a limited, heavily filtered restoration of Google and messaging services.
- Streets in Tehran and other cities reportedly returned to an uneasy calm on Sunday, with shops reopened and no fresh protests reported by state media.
(With inputs from agencies)At TOI World Desk, our dedicated team of seasoned journalists and...
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