Iranian TV hacked, protest footage aired; Israel blamed for cyber offensive
“If you see unrelated images, it is due to satellite signal interference by the Zionist enemy,” the broadcaster said in an official statement
Iranian state television was briefly hacked on Wednesday evening, broadcasting footage of anti-regime protests and calls for public uprising.
According to the opposition outlet Iran International, the broadcast included a logo associated with the alleged Israeli cyber operation known as “Lion’s Awakening.”
The Iranian national broadcasting authority acknowledged the breach, blaming Israel for the disruption.
“If you see unrelated images, it is due to satellite signal interference by the Zionist enemy,” the broadcaster said in an official statement.
Iran International reported that the hack was likely executed via satellite signal interference, targeting viewers who access state-run channels using satellite receivers. The incident marks the latest in a string of cyberattacks inside Iran that authorities and independent observers have attributed to Israeli-linked actors.
On Tuesday, Iranian citizens reported widespread issues accessing funds from Sepah Bank ATMs. The bank is government-owned and closely tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The hacker group “Predatory Sparrow”, known for past cyberattacks on Iran’s oil and military infrastructure, claimed responsibility for the incident. In a statement, the group accused Sepah Bank of facilitating Iran’s nuclear and ballistic weapons programs by helping circumvent international sanctions.
“It is the fate of any institution that serves the terrorist fantasies of the dictator,” the group said, thanking unnamed “partners” for their assistance.
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Amid the cyber disruptions, Israeli Military Intelligence Chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder paid a visit to IDF intelligence units on Tuesday. In remarks to personnel, he hinted at additional operations in the works.
“You will soon enter new territories in other arenas as well,” Binder told the troops, suggesting further cross-domain activity is likely on the horizon.
The hacking of Iranian state TV and banking systems comes amid heightened tensions following Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear targets, including a strike on the inactive Arak nuclear reactor. The cyberattacks are seen by analysts as a component of a broader multifront campaign aimed at destabilizing Iran’s military and strategic capabilities.