SAEDNEWS: The London-based Persian-language television channel Iran International has been targeted by a hacker group known as Hanzala, which has gained full access to the channel’s internal systems and released confidential information about its staff.
In a statement, the group announced it had completely infiltrated the network, shutting down its systems, servers, and communications infrastructure.
The group said it successfully extracted sensitive internal data, including confidential communications, personal staff information, financial records, and correspondence with foreign entities.
One of the most significant breaches, according to the hackers, was access to the channel’s primary message-receiving account, long used as a secure contact point for informants.
Hanzala said it held the full identity dossiers of more than 71,000 individuals who have communicated with the network.
The group said according to its analysis Iran International was operating as a “spy and media-infiltration network” under the direction of the Mossad, dressing up as an independent news outlet.
It has already released some identity data of the channel’s personnel and stated that more selected materials from the data cache will be made public soon.
The channel confirmed the breach, attributing the leak to unauthorized access to the computers of the targeted staff.
Iran International was designated a terrorist organization by Iran in 2022 for what the Islamic Republic described as incitement to violence, promotion of terrorism, and the dissemination of hate speech during the foreign-backed riots that followed the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody.
Iranian officials had previously warned that anyone cooperating with the network, which they accused of attempting to destabilize the country and fuel internal division, would face prosecution.
The channel has also come under fire during the recent 12-day Israeli acts of aggression against Iran, with critics saying it serves as a mouthpiece for Israel and attempting to justify the mass killings of Iranians by the occupying regime.
UK-based Persian-language networks including Iran International, BBC Persian, and Manoto have been repeatedly accused by Iranian officials of spreading disinformation and conducting psychological warfare against Iran.
