TEHRAN – A number of Iranian artists have responded to the hostile actions of Iran International, which is a Zionist-affiliated Persian-language satellite television channel, by posting a shared poster on their social media platforms, calling for a boycott of the network.

So far, 130,000 individuals have joined the campaign to boycott the media outlet, exposing its enmity towards Iran and its people. Among the supporters of this initiative are notable figures from Iranian cinema, television, and theater, including Bijan Banafshekhah, Mojdeh Lavasani, Majid Vasheghani, Sogol Tahmasbi, Elmira Sharifi Moghadam, Sajjad Afsharian, Babak Khajeh Pasha, and others, Honaronline reported.

In a collective statement shared by the individuals, it reads: “Dear compatriot, the terrorist network Iran International is a key arm of the Zionist war room, shamelessly normalizing acts of aggression, the killing of civilians, terrorism, and bombardments”.

“This network is conducting psychological warfare by instilling fear among the people, exaggerating Israel’s power while downplaying Iran’s strength,” the message added and called for all Iranians to “Fight back by turning off this TV channel, blocking its accounts and its hosts.”

Renowned Iranian writer and poet Mohammadreza Shafiei Kadkani also addressed Iran International, writing: “Shame on you! Do you beg from foreigners?”

Since its establishment in May 2017, Iran International has never portrayed a calm image of Iranian society. On the contrary, it has incited violence and nationwide strikes, seeking to turn a peaceful environment into one of unrest and conflict among different groups.

Previously funded indirectly by the Saudi royal court, Iran International has lost a significant portion of its financial backing due to regional realignments and the resumption of Iran-Saudi relations. As a result, it has shifted toward financial support from Israel, effectively becoming the “second voice of Israel” in the Persian-language media space.

This financial and political shift has led to increasingly biased coverage aligned with Israeli anti-Iranian agendas. It is natural that a media outlet funded by Iran’s adversaries cannot be a truthful narrator in critical moments.

At a time when Iran and the Zionist regime are experiencing one of their most volatile periods, marked by mutual threats and armed attacks, Iran International has clearly not stood with the Iranian people. Instead, it has visibly worked to legitimize Israel’s crimes.

In the early hours of last Friday, June 13, the Israeli regime launched an unprovoked act of military aggression against the sovereign territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran, martyring revered commanders of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) and prominent nuclear scientists, alongside civilians.

Since then, the strikes have continued, targeting civilian nuclear facilities and residential areas, violating all international norms and threatening to ignite regional conflagration.

Responding to the Israel’s aggression, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched Operation True Promise III Friday night and has since unleashed coordinated missile and drone strikes deep inside occupied territories, targeting military and intelligence command centers.

While Israel’s attacks on Iranian territory target the nation’s sovereignty and national security, Iran International carefully crafts its language and headlines to normalize and even justify such assaults.

This network selects its news items based on the priorities of Iran’s enemies. For example, it reports on killed Israeli soldiers under the guise of civilian casualties with breaking-news coverage, while remaining silent on the dozens of Iranian women and children martyred in similar circumstances.

It is, in fact, conducting a psychological operation. When Iranian viewers, unknowingly or out of habit, watch this network, they are subconsciously exposed to a news barrage designed to humiliate, sow division, and instill a sense of military and political helplessness.

The Zionist-affiliated network spreads fear through its news, false alarm of shortages and famine in Iran, while actively censoring any negative news related to Israel. Reports of missile and drone strikes on Israeli targets, the panic among settlers in the occupied territories, and the destruction left in their wake are omitted or downplayed. In contrast, fabricated stories about the “dire situation” in Iran are amplified and sensationalized.

War is never a desirable state, and its consequences, regardless of location or actors, invariably cause suffering for ordinary people. In such circumstances, a media outlet claiming to support the Iranian people has instead become a tool for escalating the conflict and encouraging U.S. involvement in war against Iran for Israel’s benefit.

The truth is that this network has moved beyond the realm of journalism and traditional broadcasting. Genuine news organizations do not engage in political agendas—especially not by interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign nations. Such interference stands in direct violation of the Charter of the United Nations and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Two years ago, Barak Ravid, a famous Zionist journalist, and Yossi Melman, an intelligence analyst for Haaretz, revealed that the Mossad, the national intelligence agency of Israel, regularly uses the Iran International TV channel for the spy war against Iran and that the TV belongs to the Mossad, and the information and materials that it does not want to publish in its name, publishes through this channel.

In this context, boycotting such a network is not merely an emotional reaction, it is a strategic necessity. Although this outlet broadcasts in Persian, it cannot in any sense be regarded as an “Iranian media organization.” On the contrary, it is unmistakably a media arm of a hostile foreign enemy.

SS/SAB