London-based Iran International says its journalists are working nonstop to verify and broadcast videos and eyewitness accounts from the Iran protests despite anonymous threats. The channel has reported a contested figure of 36,500 deaths for the 8–9 January crackdown, while HRANA has confirmed 5,848 fatalities and is probing another 17,091 possible cases. The privately run station, founded in 2017, estimates a weekly audience of about 40 million, denies state control despite accusations of Saudi backing, and has faced security incidents including a 2023 temporary move to Washington and a March 2024 stabbing of a reporter.
Inside Iran International: London Broadcaster Racing To Verify Footage As Death Toll Claims Spark Controversy
Iran International was labelled a 'terrorist' organisation by Tehran in 2022 (CARLOS JASSO)(CARLOS JASSO/AFP/AFP)
Journalists at London-based Iran International say they are working around the clock to verify and broadcast eyewitness videos and testimony from the recent protests in Iran, despite sustained threats against staff and their families.
Coverage and Verification
Operating from a heavily secured building in west London, the privately run channel receives footage by satellite and private VPN links from inside Iran. Thousands of viewers sent video, audio and written accounts of the crackdown; the station says it verifies material before airing it. Members of the digital team describe hours spent analyzing graphic footage and corroborating sources.
'Honestly, it's horrible. At the beginning I couldn't believe it. I thought maybe the images were made with AI,' said Farnoosh Faraji, a senior journalist who left Iran in 2012 and now helps verify incoming material. 'I promised myself to be strong. I must help my people; this is part of my job.'
Disputed Death Toll
On Sunday Iran International reported that, citing newly obtained classified documents and accounts from medical sources and families, at least 36,500 people were killed by security forces during the 8–9 January crackdown. That figure has been described as controversial. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has independently confirmed 5,848 deaths and said it is investigating a further 17,091 possible fatalities.
Security, Threats and Operational Disruptions
Staff say anonymous threats have escalated since the station launched in 2017. Presenter Reza Mohaddes and other employees have received death threats and messages warning of attacks on the building; these have been reported to London police. In 2023, on advice from British counter-terrorism police, the channel temporarily suspended UK broadcasting and operated from Washington for seven months. In March 2024 one reporter was stabbed near his London home, prompting a Scotland Yard investigation. Britain's foreign ministry has summoned Iran's senior diplomat in the UK to protest threats against journalists.
Audience, Ownership and Independence
Iran International estimates its weekly audience is probably over 40 million and says it is among the most-watched Persian-language outlets inside Iran as well as among the diaspora. The newsroom employs roughly 200 journalists and maintains correspondents in Washington, Paris, Berlin and Tel Aviv. Tehran labelled the channel, alongside BBC Persian, a 'terrorist' organisation in 2022.
The channel faces repeated allegations of Saudi backing. Spokesman Adam Baillie says the investor is a British–Saudi national but insists 'it is not controlled by Saudi Arabia' and that the station is independent. Baillie also denied that the channel supports Reza Pahlavi or Israel, contrary to Tehran's claims.
Despite the risks, staff emphasise their commitment to reporting what they say are documented abuses. 'We were shocked by the brutality of the regime,' Mohaddes said. 'I'm not afraid at all. We're all fighting to get rid of this brutal regime.'
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