ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces on Wednesday threatened journalists working for several Persian-language media outlets abroad, describing them as “soldiers” of Israel and the United States and saying they could be treated as military targets.
Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi made the remarks during a visit to Defa Press, a media outlet linked to Iran’s defense establishment, explicitly naming Iran International, BBC Persian, Manoto and Radio Farda and accusing their employees of working on behalf of Tehran’s enemies.
“Media outlets such as BBC, Iran International and Radio Farda are directly connected to [the Israeli intelligence agency] Mossad, the [US’s Central Intelligence Agency] CIA and hostile intelligence organizations, and receive their operational direction and support from them,” Shekarchi said.
“Those who work for these outlets are considered soldiers of Zionism and the criminal [United States of] America, and they could even be included in the military target bank, because from our perspective, these are not media organisations.”
The remarks represent an unusually direct threat against journalists working for Persian-language media outside Iran and come amid the continuing conflict between Tehran and Washington.
Iranian authorities have for years portrayed Persian-language broadcasters based overseas as part of a wider foreign campaign against the Islamic Republic, often framing their reporting as part of a wider psychological warfare or a national security threat.
Moreover, Iran has previously used financial pressure against journalists working for Persian-language broadcasters abroad. In 2017, Iranian authorities imposed an asset-freezing injunction on 152 current and former BBC Persian staff and contributors, preventing them from buying, selling or inheriting property in Iran.
Journalists inside Iran have also repeatedly been detained over their work, particularly during periods of unrest and political crisis.
Earlier this month, Iranian photojournalist Yalda Moaiery was sentenced to 15 years in prison under legislation introduced after the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June of last year. The charges included giving interviews to media deemed hostile by the authorities and providing photographs to organizations linked to the US and Israel. Reporters Without Borders said 16 journalists had been detained in Iran so far this year.
Iran has also detained foreign and dual nationals on espionage and national security charges. Western governments and rights groups have repeatedly criticized such arrests as politically motivated, allegations Tehran denies.
BBC Persian and other outlets have previously reported pressure on journalists’ relatives inside Iran, while Tehran has imposed legal and financial restrictions on journalists working for foreign-based Persian-language media.
Shekarchi’s Wednesday remarks however, go further by placing media workers directly within the language of military targeting, blurring the distinction between journalism and participation in hostilities.
