LONDON: The BBC's Persian television service is being jammed from within Iran following coverage of the mass protests against President Hosni Mubarak's rule in Egypt, the broadcaster said Friday.
BBC Persian TV has been working with the BBC's Arabic TV service to broadcast rolling news from Egypt, and the broadcaster believes it is this coverage which has prompted the jamming which began on Thursday.
Many Iranian viewers claimed to have been watching events unfold in Cairo and elsewhere in the region extremely closely, the Corporation said.
BBC Persian, which is based in London, has vowed to continue its broadcasts to Iran and its coverage of the turmoil in Egypt.
Peter Horrocks, director of the BBC World Service, said: "This jamming should stop immediately.
"The events in Egypt are being viewed by the entire world and it is wrong that our significant Iranian audience is being denied impartial news and information from BBC Persian TV.
"This is a regional story that Persian TV have been covering thoroughly and it is clear from our audience feedback that Iranian people want to know what is happening in Egypt.
"The BBC will not stop covering Egypt and it will continue to broadcast to the Iranian people."
Programmes which may have caused concern within Iran are understood to include a broadcast in which the BBC's Persian and Arabic services joined together for an interactive show in which Iranian and Egyptian callers exchanged views.
BBC Persian was the victim of extensive jamming of its coverage following the demonstrations following the disputed result of the Iranian presidential election in June 2009.
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