Iran’s armed forces have identified several Persian-language media organizations operating outside the country as potential targets for attacks, according to Iranian media reports cited Wednesday by the dpa news agency.
Iranian military spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi named the BBC’s Persian-language service, Iran International and Radio Farda as possible targets, the Iranian news agency Tasnim reported.
Shekarchi accused the outlets of maintaining ties with Israeli and US intelligence agencies, but did not provide details on what type of attacks could potentially be carried out against them.
The broadcasters, which have large audiences inside Iran, operate primarily from Europe and the United States.
Iran International has previously been the target of an attack in Britain. In March 2024, prominent presenter Pouria Zeraati was stabbed in the thigh in an ambush outside his home in Wimbledon. Zeraati subsequently left Britain for Israel, saying he feels “much safer" in the Jewish state.
Last month, the British government summoned Iran’s Chargé d’Affaires in London, Ali Nasimfar, after a British judge formally ruled that the attack on Zeraati had been commissioned and carried out on behalf of the Iranian regime.
Iran International has repeatedly faced violent threats over its critical coverage of Iran’s Islamic regime.
The security threats previously prompted the network to temporarily move its broadcasting operations to Washington, D.C., in 2023, citing an escalation of “state-backed threats from Iran." The network later established a new operational base in London.
Most Iranians distrust the country’s state-controlled media, which remains subject to censorship even during periods of peace. Authorities have imposed additional restrictions on domestic media since the outbreak of the war.