Iran Designates International Media Outlets as Military Targets

The Iranian Armed Forces have designated several international media organizations, including the BBC, Iran International, and Radio Free Europe, as legitimate military targets. Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesperson for the military, announced that these Persian-language outlets have been added to the military's target bank, asserting that the Iranian military does not view them as media organizations but as hostile propaganda fronts.

Shekarchi claimed these organizations are directly connected to foreign intelligence agencies, specifically the CIA and Mossad, and described their employees as soldiers of Zionism and criminal America. He accused the outlets of promoting global violence and instability, stating that their infrastructure could be subject to attack.

This escalation follows a broader campaign by the Iranian government to suppress foreign-based media. Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi Azad recently indicted more than 300 individuals linked to anti-Iran media, including those associated with Manoto and Iran International. The Iranian government has designated Iran International as a terrorist organization since 2022, a claim the network denies.

The rhetoric coincides with heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington and recent security concerns in Britain. A recent Iranian cyberattack forced a UK power generator to shut down for four days, marking the first known successful disruption of such a facility in the United Kingdom.