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Hackers Breach Iran State TV to Air Exiled Prince's Protest Call

The hack aired a 10-minute broadcast urging Iranian security forces to join protests amid a crackdown that activists say has killed at least 3,919 people, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.

  • On January 18, 2026, Iran's state broadcaster IRIB was hijacked, briefly airing Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi's message via the Badr satellite, though authenticity remains unconfirmed.
  • After a near-total blackout that began on January 8, 2026, NetBlocks, internet monitoring group, reported a fleeting restoration of connectivity earlier Sunday that allowed some content to circulate.
  • Videos circulating online showed repeated messages telling the Iranian army and security forces not to turn their weapons on the people, with a photograph of Masoud Pezeshkian addressed in an appeal.
  • No one has claimed credit for the intrusion, Iranian officials blamed an unnamed foreign country, and Fars reported Irancell's CEO Alireza Rafiei was removed Sunday for failing to comply with shutdown orders.
  • Amid a deadly crackdown that officials say killed at least 5,000 people, Reuters reported more than 24,000 arrests amid U.S. military moves and President Donald Trump's strike pause.
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nuclear-news broke the news in on Sunday, January 18, 2026.
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