Hacktivists hijacked Iran ’s state TV to air anti-regime messages and an appeal to protest from Reza Pahlavi

Hacktivists briefly hijacked Iran’s Badr satellite to broadcast anti-regime messages and a call for protests from exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi on state TV channels. The hacked broadcast aired around 9:30 p.m. and lasted about 10 minutes, showing footage of protests and urging viewers to join demonstrations while calling on Iran’s military and security forces to side with the protesters, with Pahlavi’s message also shared by his media team.

According to Iran International English, several Iranian state TV channels carried the footage and calls from Pahlavi. The Jerusalem Post reported on the video, which included messages encouraging continued protests and solidarity footage from around the world. On 18 January 2026, NetBlocks said internet traffic in Iran dropped again after a brief restoration of some Google and messaging services, while some Iranians still managed to share crisis updates during that window.