**Hackers Disrupt Iranian State TV to Broadcast Video of Exiled Crown Prince**

In a bold move, hackers disrupted Iranian state television's satellite transmissions on Sunday night, airing footage supporting the country's exiled crown prince and calling on security forces not to "point your weapons at the people." The video, which was broadcast across multiple channels, featured two clips of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, as well as footage of security forces and others in what appeared to be Iranian police uniforms.

The hacking comes as the death toll in a crackdown by authorities on nationwide protests reaches at least 3,941 people, according to activists. The number is expected to rise as information continues to leak out of a country still gripped by the government's decision to shut down the internet. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had his invitation to speak at the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, withdrawn over the killings.

Tensions remain high between the United States and Iran over the crackdown, with President Donald Trump drawing two red lines for the Islamic Republic: the killing of peaceful protesters and Tehran conducting mass executions in the wake of the demonstrations. A U.S. aircraft carrier, which had been in the South China Sea just days earlier, passed Singapore overnight to enter the Strait of Malacca – a route that could bring it to the Middle East.

The footage aired on Iranian state television showed two clips of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who has long been seen as a potential leader by many in Iran. The video also claimed that others had "laid down their weapons and sworn an oath of allegiance to the people." A graphic read: "This is a message to the army and security forces. Don't point your weapons at the people. Join the nation for the freedom of Iran."

The semiofficial Fars news agency, believed to be close to the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, quoted a statement from the state broadcaster acknowledging that the signal in "some areas of the country was momentarily disrupted by an unknown source." However, it did not discuss what had been aired.

A statement from Pahlavi's office acknowledged the disruption but did not respond to questions from The Associated Press about the hack. How much support Pahlavi has inside Iran remains an open question, though there have been pro-shah cries at the demonstrations and at night since the crackdown.

History of Hacking Iranian Airwaves

Sunday's hack is not the first to disrupt Iranian airwaves. In 1986, The Washington Post reported that the CIA supplied the prince's allies with "a miniaturized television transmitter for an 11-minute clandestine broadcast" to Iran by Pahlavi that pirated the signal of two stations in the Islamic Republic.

In 2022, multiple channels aired footage showing leaders from the exiled opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq and a graphic calling for the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The hacking has become a recurring theme in Iran's recent history, with many groups using it to spread their message and disrupt the government's control.

US Aircraft Carrier on Path to Mideast

Tensions remain high between Tehran and Washington over the crackdown, and ship-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, as well as other American military vessels, in the Strait of Malacca after passing Singapore. This route could bring them to the Middle East.

The Lincoln had been in the South China Sea with its strike group as a deterrent to China over tensions with Taiwan. Tracking data showed that the USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., the USS Michael Murphy, and the USS Spruance – all Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers – were traveling with the Lincoln through the strait.

World Economic Forum Withdraws Invitation

In a separate development, the World Economic Forum withdrew its invitation for Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to speak at Davos. "Although he was invited last fall, the tragic loss of lives of civilians in Iran over the past few weeks means that it is not right for the Iranian government to be represented at Davos this year," the forum said.

The Munich Security Conference separately withdrew its invitation for Iranian government officials over the crackdown. The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution.

Death Toll Continues to Rise

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency put the death toll Monday at least 3,941, warning it likely would go higher. The agency has been accurate throughout the years of demonstrations and unrest in Iran, relying on a network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities.