Iranian TV Networks Hit by Airstrikes, Satellite Feeds Hijacked

Fighter jets targeted Iranian state broadcasting facilities in Tehran on Sunday, killing and injuring several employees. Following the attacks, hackers took control of Iranian television satellite feeds, broadcasting messages from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump.

Fighter jets struck two facilities belonging to Iran’s state broadcasting network in Tehran on Sunday evening, resulting in casualties among staff members and temporarily knocking transmissions off the air.

The attacks targeted complexes operated by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), with explosions visible across Tehran. Broadcasting resumed within minutes from backup studios, though programming remained limited and some radio services experienced significant interruptions.

An IRIB presenter, reporting from an alternate studio in Tehran’s Jame Jam area, confirmed that the network had suffered attacks from US and Israeli forces before announcing the return to regular programming.

The current broadcasting setup stems from damage sustained during a 12-day conflict in June, when missiles from Israeli aircraft completely destroyed IRIB’s primary facility known as the Glass Building in northern Tehran. Since that time, the News Network has operated from multiple locations, including backup studios and repurposed facilities.

Financial constraints have hampered efforts to establish a permanent replacement site. According to sources within IRIB, the broadcaster’s Political Department had sought emergency funding for a new studio outside the main complex, but the request was denied and postponed to the following budget year. Economic difficulties have reduced commercial advertising income, forcing the organization to scatter operations across various buildings, some outside protected areas.

In the hours following the physical attacks, hackers compromised Iranian television satellite transmissions, inserting content featuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and portions of a speech by President Donald Trump directed at Iranian citizens, along with footage related to the recent strikes.

Around midnight Tehran time, Tasnim News Agency, which has ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, confirmed that multiple state radio employees were killed or wounded during Sunday’s assault on Iran’s primary radio facility in southern Tehran near the city center.

The Israeli airstrikes occurred in multiple phases and also damaged Police Station 113 near Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and several military and security installations in the vicinity. Local sources reported uncertainty about whether the main radio building at Arg Square was deliberately targeted or suffered collateral damage from nearby strikes.

Additionally, Noor News, a Telegram channel with connections to Iranian security agencies, reported that Channel 2 of state television, situated outside the primary IRIB compound, also came under attack.

Prior to the commencement of US and Israeli operations, sources indicated that IRIB had activated emergency protocols starting at midnight Saturday, implementing wartime staffing schedules and preparing for potential cyber attacks and threats to live broadcasting capabilities. Another source revealed that news regarding the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had reached IRIB executives and the Political Department by Saturday afternoon, with broadcast managers developing plans to announce the development in the early morning hours.