On Wednesday night, June 18, 2025, Iran’s state-owned television broadcaster was hacked, interrupting regular programming to air videos calling for street protests against the Iranian government. The broadcast was briefly hijacked, with footage showing women cutting their hair and messages urging citizens to “rise up” and “take control of your future”. The disruption was widely shared on social media and quickly drew both domestic and international attention.
Attribution and Method
Iranian authorities blamed Israel for the cyberattack, describing it as an act of “enemy interference with satellite signals”. The hack appeared to specifically target viewers accessing state TV via satellite receivers, as confirmed by Iran’s Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). A logo associated with the alleged Israeli cyber operation “Lion’s Awakening” or “Operation Rising Lion” was visible during the broadcast.
Context and Reactions
The incident occurred amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel, following a series of Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear targets in the days prior. Iranian officials accused Israel of conducting psychological warfare and warned viewers that unrelated images on TV were due to “satellite signal interference by the Zionist enemy”. The hack is the latest in a series of cyberattacks attributed to Israeli-linked actors, which have also targeted Iranian banks and other infrastructure in recent days.
Iran responded by restricting internet access across the country, citing concerns about foreign influence and military use of digital platforms. The regime has also increased internal security measures, deploying riot police and passing new laws to harshly penalize cooperation with foreign entities.
