The newsroom is in London, but the frontline is in Tehran. In a disturbing escalation of state-sponsored intimidation, journalists working for BBC Persian have revealed that the Iranian regime is targeting their families back home, using interrogation, asset freezes, and threats of arrest to silence reporting on the country’s unrest.

This is not a new tactic, but the precision and intensity of the harassment have reached terrifying new levels. Exiled reporters, who believed they were safe on British soil, are finding that the regime’s reach is long and ruthless. They are being watched, their movements monitored, and their loved ones used as pawns in a geopolitical game of silence. The message from the Intelligence Ministry is brutal and clear: "We know where you sit. We know where you live. Stop speaking, or your family pays the price."

Weaponizing Kinship

The Guardian has uncovered specific instances where elderly parents of London-based journalists were hauled in for questioning. In one chilling exchange, security agents recited the exact office address and desk location of a journalist in the BBC’s London HQ to their father in Iran. "They knew everything about me somehow," one anonymous journalist confessed, fear evident in their testimony. "They even gave my father... the telephone number, where I’m sitting exactly."

This psychological warfare is designed to induce a paralyzing guilt. By targeting the innocent—mothers, fathers, siblings—the regime aims to force journalists to choose between their duty to the truth and the safety of their blood. Some have already broken under the strain, resigning to protect their families from financial ruin and imprisonment.

A Global Threat

• The Surveillance State: The reports confirm that Iranian operatives are actively monitoring the "movements" of journalists within the UK. This raises serious questions about the safety of dissidents on British streets and the ability of the UK government to protect them.
• The BBC’s Stance: BBC Persian, which reaches an audience of 30 million, remains a thorn in the side of the Ayatollahs. The service provides a lifeline of information to a population starved of uncensored news, particularly following the recent waves of deadly protests.

The Cost of Truth

The international community faces a stark challenge. This is not just a media issue; it is a human rights crisis. When a government can reach across borders to threaten citizens of another nation by holding their relatives hostage, the rules of sovereignty are broken.

For the journalists of BBC Persian, every broadcast is an act of defiance, and every phone call home is a potential tragedy. They continue to report, but they do so looking over their shoulders, knowing that in Tehran, the walls have ears, and the regime has a long memory.