Iranian press review: State TV airs weapons training

Iranian press review: State TV airs weapons training Submitted by MEE correspondent on Thu, 05/21/2026 - 10:42 Meanwhile, human rights organisations warn of growing arrests, disparaging comments about rescue dogs spark backlash, and Savak flag marches abroad are condemned The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting airs a weapons training programme on how to assemble and disassemble Kalashnikov rifles and PK machine guns (screengrab) Off TV hosts fire weapons on live broadcasts Iranian state television has begun broadcasting weapons training programmes, including lessons on how to use rifles and machine guns, marking a shift in the type of content aired by the country’s public broadcaster. The programmes show how to assemble and disassemble Kalashnikov rifles and PK machine guns . The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the country’s only television network, is controlled by hardliners, and its director is appointed by Iran’s supreme leader. In one live broadcast on Channel 3, dedicated to Kalashnikov training, a masked man wearing an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) uniform demonstrated how to use the weapon.  The programme’s host then prepared the rifle and asked the IRGC officer for permission to shoot at a UAE flag in the studio, which he then did on air. In another live broadcast, a television presenter joined supporters of the establishment gathered in Tehran’s main squares and fired a shot into the air in front of the camera. He then said, “This was just a shot for fun, but if necessary, each of us will take up arms and cut off the ear of those who want to invade this land.” The display of weapons on Iranian state television was not limit...

Original source: Middle East Eye