Iranian state TV hacked: Reza Pahlavi urges military to join protests

Unknown hackers have breached the satellite broadcasts of Iran’s state television channels, interrupting regular programming with a message from Reza Pahlavi, the son of the country’s last Shah.

In the address, Pahlavi called on members of the Iranian military to side with protestors and work to remove Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Video of the hack was shared on X by Hen Mazzig, a blogger and publicist who founded the Tel Aviv Institute. Footage shows slogans in Farsi and the reactions of viewers, with men and women visibly surprised as they switched between channels, including sports broadcasts.

One segment also features a press conference by Friedrich Merz, in which he expressed support for the protest movement.

A U.S.-based activist group has verified at least 3,919 deaths during recent protests in Iran, up from a previous figure of 3,308. The unrest, which began on December 28 over economic grievances, has also seen 24,669 arrests, marking the deadliest wave of demonstrations in Iran in decades.

Iranian authorities have offered limited information, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledging “several thousand” deaths and blaming the United States.

President Masoud Pezeshkian cited sanctions and foreign hostility for the country’s hardships, while U.S. President Donald Trump had warned Tehran against using deadly force and pledged support to demonstrators.

The figures have not been independently verified, but the agency has a longstanding network of sources inside Iran.

By Aghakazim Guliyev