Channel Two of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) was hacked for several minutes on Wednesday, and a message from Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi was aired, sources told Iran International.
In Pahlavi's message shared with the public, the crown prince reportedly called on military personnel to join the Iranian people in protest against the Islamic regime.
The hack comes days after two IRIB complexes in Tehran were struck by fighter jets, leaving several employees killed and injured.
Following the strikes, whose explosions were visible from more distant parts of Tehran, radio and television transmissions briefly went off the air for several minutes before resuming.
An IRIB presenter, broadcasting from an alternative studio near the Jame Jam neighborhood in northern Tehran, said after the signal returned that IRIB had come under US and Israeli attack and that programming was back on the air.
The network and other television channels later faced technical difficulties and a reduced programming schedule, while some radio broadcasts experienced serious disruptions.
Iranian media gets hacked, showing Pahlavi's messages to citizens
In January, anti-regime activists hacked Iran's Badr satellite, allowing them to access state TV channels and broadcast Pahlavi's calls for Iranians to protest against the Islamic Republic, anti-regime outlets reported at the time.
The footage was also shared by Pahlavi's media department.
In the video, the broadcast appeared to include messages in Farsi encouraging protesters to continue their activities, media footage of solidarity protests worldwide, and messages of support from international leaders.
Iran International reported that Pahlavi's call to protest at the time also included a call for Iran's military and security forces to side with protesters.
Islamic regime's government attempts to control Iranian media
The hacking of IRIB comes as the Islamic Republic attempts to double down on control of media messages shared with citizens.
On Wednesday, Iran International reported that some of its public has said the government has sent them threatening messages.
The threat reportedly said that if Iranian citizens use the international internet to consume content, they will face judicial action.
“In the event of repeated connection to the international internet, your line will be blocked within the coming days, and the necessary measures will be taken to refer you to the judicial authorities,” the message said, according to the report.
Omid Habibinia/The Media Line and James Genn contributed to this report.