State television broadcast hijacked with ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ protest footage as sophisticated hackers deliver one-two punch amid escalating Israel-Iran conflict
Pro-Israel hackers have launched a devastating double cyberattack on Iran, infiltrating state television to broadcast calls for an uprising while a separate group destroyed £67 million ($90 million) from the country’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.
The coordinated digital assault came as tensions between Israel and Iran reached boiling point, with both nations trading missile strikes for the fourth consecutive day in an escalating conflict that has left hundreds dead.
Iranian state TV viewers were stunned when their regular programming was suddenly interrupted with footage from the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising, showing women removing their mandatory hijabs and cutting their hair in defiance of the regime.
‘Rise up! This is your moment’
The hijacked broadcast displayed powerful scenes from protests that erupted after 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian Mahsa Jina Amini died in police custody, alongside the message: “Rise up! This is your moment. Go out into the streets. Take control of your future.”
Iran immediately blamed Israel for the hack, with state television warning viewers the disruption was “due to cyberattacks carried out by the Zionist enemy that is disrupting the satellite transmission.
The Hamshahri newspaper shared video of the breach on Telegram, confirming “hackers infiltrated state television and broadcast a call asking people to take to the streets.
UN spokesperson shares hack footage
Israel’s spokesperson to the United Nations, Jonathan Harounoff, posted the hacked broadcast on X, writing: “Happening now. Iranian state TV has been hacked, taking a break from its regular propaganda programming to broadcast iconic scenes from the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ uprising.”
Harounoff, 29, a British journalist who recently published about Iran’s protest movement, appeared to confirm Israeli awareness of the operation by sharing the footage in real-time.
The TV hack represents just the latest in a series of cyber operations targeting Iran as the physical conflict intensifies, with Israel striking Iranian state TV headquarters during a live broadcast on Monday.
£67 million crypto heist
In a separate but equally devastating attack, the pro-Israel hacking group “Predatory Sparrow” claimed responsibility for destroying $90 million (£67 million) from Nobitex, Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.
The sophisticated hackers didn’t steal the funds for profit – instead, they effectively burned the cryptocurrency by sending it to inaccessible blockchain addresses containing anti-regime messages.
“The Nobitex exchange is at the heart of the regime’s efforts to finance terror worldwide, as well as being the regime’s favorite sanctions violation tool,” Predatory Sparrow declared on social media.
Funds destroyed, not stolen
In an extraordinary twist, blockchain analysis revealed the hackers sent the stolen cryptocurrency to “vanity addresses” containing variations of “F***IRGCterrorists” – referring to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Elliptic crypto analyst Arda Akartuna told Fortune: “To generate addresses with so many specific terms inside it would require so much computing power that you’re not going to do it within any reasonable lifetime.”
“So, it seems to have been more of a symbolic hack, as opposed to one where the intention is financial.”
Bank systems also targeted
The devastating crypto attack came just one day after Predatory Sparrow claimed to have destroyed data at Iran’s state-owned Bank Sepah, causing widespread ATM outages across the country.
A source in Tehran told CNN they visited about 10 ATM machines over Tuesday and Wednesday, finding all of them either non-functional or out of cash.
The hackers justified targeting Bank Sepah by claiming IRGC members used the bank’s services to circumvent international sanctions.
Internet restrictions imposed
Iran announced on Wednesday it was imposing “temporary restrictions” on internet access, claiming Israel was abusing “the communication network for military purposes.
Critics accused the regime of restricting internet use to prevent internal unrest amid the instability caused by Israeli military strikes and the cyberattacks.
Numerous sites and apps have remained at least partially inaccessible in the country as authorities struggle to contain the digital assault.
Khamenei’s defiant response
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded defiantly to the attacks and President Trump’s calls for “unconditional surrender,” declaring in a televised address: “This nation will never surrender.
America should know that any military intervention will undoubtedly result in irreparable damage,” he warned, calling Trump’s ultimatum “unacceptable.
The cyberattacks mark a significant escalation in the shadow war between Israel and Iran, with digital operations now matching the intensity of physical strikes.
History of ‘Predatory Sparrow’
The mysterious hacking group has emerged over the past five years claiming spectacular cyberattacks on Iranian infrastructure, including:
- 2021 – First appearance targeting Iranian steel mills
- 2022 – Paralyzed gas stations across Iran
- 2023 – Disrupted fuel distribution systems nationwide
- 2024 – Hit gas stations again after October 7 Hamas attacks
- June 2025 – Destroyed Bank Sepah data and burned $90 million in crypto
‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ legacy
The TV hack’s use of protest footage carries deep significance, as the 2022 uprising saw hundreds killed by security forces after Amini’s death in custody for “improper hijab.
According to Amnesty International, over 500 protesters were gunned down in the streets, with tens of thousands arrested and an unknown number tortured in custody.
The movement’s slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom” became a rallying cry against Iran’s mandatory hijab laws and broader oppression, making its appearance on state TV particularly provocative.
What we know:
- State TV hacked – Broadcast interrupted with uprising footage
- Message displayed – “Rise up! Take control of your future”
- $90 million destroyed – Crypto burned in Nobitex exchange hack
- Bank Sepah hit – ATMs non-functional across Tehran
- Internet restricted – Iran blames Israeli “military” use
- Conflict escalates – Fourth day of missile exchanges
- Casualties mount – 220+ killed in Iran, 24 in Israel
