Posted on 04/03/2026 7:16:13 AM PDT by MeanWestTexan
Iranian state television has escalated its messaging by warning citizens not to reveal the locations of officials hiding among civilians, while increasingly portraying dissent as hostile action and labeling protesters “enemy combatants.”
As the regional conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States escalates, Iran’s state broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), has undergone a marked transformation in tone and language.
Once associated with rigid but largely diplomatic messaging, IRIB now frequently adopts rhetoric that is overtly confrontational, reflecting both wartime pressures and an effort by authorities to project defiance amid mounting military strain.
In a segment of a program on Iran’s state broadcaster, presenter Mohammad Jafar Khosravi acknowledged that officials are hiding in safe houses among ordinary citizens and urged the public not to reveal their locations, warning that otherwise they would be “finished” and targeted.
One of the clearest examples of the belligerent rhetoric emerged in the early days of the war, when Police Commander Ahmad Reza Radan addressed unrest linked to the war. Speaking on state television, he warned that anyone protesting “at the will of the enemy” would no longer be treated as a civilian but as an “enemy combatant,” signaling a sharp escalation in how the state frames internal dissent.
Alongside this shift, dehumanizing language toward foreign adversaries has become increasingly common. Following intensified strikes in late February, IRIB hosts and commentators repeatedly described Israeli officials as “rabid dogs,” portraying them as threats that must be eliminated.
Foreign-based Persian-language outlets were also targeted, with Iran International labeled a “satanic network” and its regional offices described as “legitimate military targets.”
The rhetoric has been accompanied by a growing dismissal of international legal norms. On multiple Press TV programs in March, officials and state-aligned analysts argued that institutions such as the United Nations and international humanitarian law serve Western interests.
Some suggested that commercial vessels, banks, and private companies linked to “belligerent nations” could be treated as military targets, rejecting long-standing principles of civilian protection.
The escalation in tone extends beyond broadcast television. On social media platform X, IRIB presenters have engaged in increasingly personal exchanges with Israeli officials.
Figures such as Ameneh Saadat Zabihpour and Ali Rezvani, both sanctioned by the United States in 2022 as "Interrogator Journalists", have traded insults with Israeli spokespersons, with some interactions descending into personal attacks, religious provocation, and inflammatory rhetoric.
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
The Iranian people will cooperate with them.
I’m just not saying who them is.
No , the US and Israel are using the New “Smell The Fear” bombs
Don’t point out the jihadi that will get you bombed as collateral damage or we will kill you. Makes perfect sense. /s
Question: Why is this station still on the air?
Hehehe....you’d only broadcast this if it were already happening, they know it, and they’re TERRIFIED.
This is nothing but a bully tactic.
It’s also a sign of weakness and will probably encourage more of it for those that are actually willing.
It’s also a sign of weakness and will probably encourage more of it for those that are actually willing.
Now they know it is real. This Iranian Theocracy is not long for this world. Something new will come out of this.
Question: Why is this station still on the air?”
Great question actually
“Hehehe....you’d only broadcast this if it were already happening, they know it, and they’re TERRIFIED.”
I 110% agree. This reeks of desperation.
Their own people hate them and are helping kill them.
Either it’s a long target list or this is useful to us.
To me, this announcement is very useful.
If I imagined myself an Iranian, I would take this story as information that “yes, my emailing of locations of Basij/IRGC to Iran Intl (or whomever) are going through and being used to kill the monsters who oppress me.”
This would be an excellent strategy. Because of the scarcity of neodymium magnets high precision munitions are running out and providing false information as to the location of the leadership consumes more of those munitions in a useless fashion
Leaving it just enhances the cognitive dissonance that will have the effect we want.
Let’s play Whack-a-Mullah!
Thou protests too much. (Shakespeare), on making the case for your own demise.
“providing false information as to the location of the leadership consumes more of those munitions in a useless fashion”
You assume the information is not vetted.
You also ignore the rather staggeringly effective kill rate we and the Israelis have.
The tip lines are working. And working well.
“. . . anyone protesting ‘at the will of the enemy’ would no longer be treated as a civilian but as an ‘enemy combatant’” . . .
Does that mean the Iranian government will give captured protesters the protections of prisoners of war?
“. . . anyone protesting ‘at the will of the enemy’ would no longer be treated as a civilian but as an ‘enemy combatant’” . . .
Does that mean the Iranian government will give captured protesters the protections of prisoners of war?
LOL! You’re a little late guys. We’ve run through your A and B teams already. How ya think we knew where they all were so quickly? (chuckle)
Mossad and CIA both run snitch lines where locals can report Mullahs and IRGC, and then we drop a bomb on their heads.
Great stuff! Go Persians!
Unpopularity has it’s disadvantages!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.