Hackers briefly disrupted Iranian state television satellite broadcasts to air footage backing the country’s exiled crown prince and urging security forces not to turn their weapons on the people, according to online videos seen early Monday.
The broadcast interference came as activists said the death toll from a sweeping crackdown on nationwide protests had climbed to at least 4,029, with fears the figure could rise further as information continues to emerge from a country still facing internet shutdowns.
Footage aired late Sunday on several satellite channels run by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting showed clips of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi along with images of people in what appeared to be police uniforms. A message urged the army and security forces not to target civilians and to stand with the nation.
Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guard, quoted state television as saying the signal in some areas had been “momentarily disrupted by an unknown source,” without elaborating on the content that was aired.
Pahlavi’s office acknowledged the disruption showing the crown prince but did not comment further.
The latest hacking incident follows a series of similar disruptions in recent years, including one in 2022 that aired footage of exiled opposition leaders and messages critical of Iran’s top leadership.
Meanwhile, tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high over the crackdown. President Donald Trump has warned Iran against killing peaceful protesters or carrying out mass executions following the demonstrations.
Ship-tracking data reviewed by the AP showed the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and several US warships passing through the Strait of Malacca after leaving Singapore, putting them on a route that could take them to the Middle East. US media, citing unnamed officials, reported the carrier was heading toward the region.
Diplomatic pressure on Tehran also mounted as the World Economic Forum withdrew an invitation for Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to speak at its annual meeting in Davos, citing the loss of civilian lives in Iran. The Munich Security Conference also cancelled invitations for Iranian officials.
According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, at least 4,029 people have been killed since protests erupted on Dec 28 over Iran’s struggling economy. The group said most of the dead were demonstrators, along with members of the security forces, children and bystanders. It also reported more than 26,000 arrests.
Iranian authorities have not released an official death toll. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday said the unrest had left “several thousand” people dead and blamed the United States for the violence.