Iranian State TV Teaches Machine-Gun Use, Targets UAE Flag
On the evening of 17 May, Iranian state television broadcast instructional segments on operating machine guns and assembling Kalashnikov rifles, including for women. Footage reportedly included live firing inside a studio and shots at a United Arab Emirates flag, raising questions about internal security fears and regional messaging.
Key Takeaways
- On the night of 17 May, Iranian TV aired lessons on machine-gun operation and Kalashnikov assembly, including for women.
- Segments reportedly featured live firing demonstrations, including shooting at a UAE flag, indicating a strong regional propaganda angle.
- The programming suggests regime concern over potential internal unrest and a desire to prepare loyalists for street-level conflict.
- The UAE-focused imagery risks further straining Tehran’s relations with Gulf neighbors amid wider regional tensions.
- The broadcasts reflect a broader militarization of Iranian domestic media and public space.
On the night of 17 May 2026, Iranian state television aired unusually explicit firearms training programs aimed at the general public, according to reports circulated around 06:02–06:06 UTC on 18 May. The broadcasts included detailed instruction on how to operate machine guns, as well as step-by-step lessons on assembling and disassembling Kalashnikov rifles. Notably, one program was reportedly tailored to women who support the regime, while another segment depicted shooters firing inside a studio at a flag of the United Arab Emirates.
Background and context
Iranian state media has long featured military-themed content, particularly highlighting the Revolutionary Guards, missile tests and narratives of resistance. However, direct televised training in small arms use for ordinary citizens—especially in an in-studio, quasi-classroom setting—is a sharp departure from typical programming. These broadcasts come at a time of heightened domestic strain, including economic hardship, periodic protests and intense external pressure arising from the ongoing war with the United States and its regional partners.
The regime has shown growing concern about the possibility of widespread civil unrest, particularly in major urban centers. Previous protest waves have been met with heavy-handed repression by security forces and paramilitary Basij units. The new programming can be interpreted as an attempt to normalize the idea of armed regime-loyal civilians playing a role in internal security and street control.
Key players involved
The main institutional actor behind such broadcasts is likely the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), which is closely aligned with the Supreme Leader’s office and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The content and tone suggest coordination with security organs that shape psychological operations and domestic mobilization campaigns.
On the external messaging front, the decision to prominently feature shooting at a UAE flag indicates a deliberate choice to spotlight a regional rival aligned with Western and Israeli interests. The UAE hosts Western military assets and has been part of regional security arrangements opposed by Tehran. The televised targeting of its flag sends a clear, overtly hostile signal to audiences at home and abroad.
Why it matters
Domestically, this development is significant as an indicator of regime mindset. Rather than seeking to de-escalate internal tensions through economic or political concessions, authorities appear to be doubling down on securitization and mass mobilization, including among women. Teaching weapons skills on national television suggests a willingness to expand the circle of those expected to take up arms in defense of the state, blurring the lines between formal security forces and politically loyal civilians.
From a human security perspective, such messaging risks legitimizing the presence of weapons in the public sphere and could embolden pro-regime vigilante behavior during any future protests. It may also intimidate dissidents and fence-sitters by projecting an image of a society where force, not debate, resolves disputes.
Regionally, the inclusion of the UAE flag as a firing target inflames already fraught relations in the Gulf. Abu Dhabi will see this as a hostile act that justifies its own security cooperation with Western militaries and deepens mistrust toward Tehran. In a context where maritime security, air defense and proxy conflicts in Yemen and elsewhere already burden Gulf relations, such symbolic provocations can make diplomatic de-escalation more difficult.
Regional and global implications
The broadcasts form part of the wider information and psychological warfare surrounding Iran’s confrontation with the United States and its allies. They contribute to an atmosphere of polarization in which public opinion is primed for long-term conflict and sacrifice. For neighboring monarchies wary of domestic unrest and Iranian influence, images of Iranian women and men being trained for urban combat will reinforce perceptions of Tehran as a revisionist, militarized actor.
Globally, the programming will complicate efforts by mediators and European states to portray Iran as a rational counterpart open to negotiated solutions. It risks further stigmatization of the Iranian government in Western media and politics, feeding support for more stringent sanctions and isolation.
Outlook & Way Forward
In the near term, additional militarized content on Iranian television is likely. Analysts should watch for follow-on programs that expand beyond small arms into urban defense tactics, civil defense drills, or ideological training designed to justify violence against internal “enemies.” An uptick in recruitment videos for paramilitary groups or calls for citizens to join neighborhood defense units would confirm a trend toward broader popular militarization.
For regional actors, particularly the UAE and other Gulf Cooperation Council members, the broadcasts underscore the importance of managing deterrence while keeping channels to Tehran open. Expect public denunciations and possible reciprocal information campaigns, but also quiet diplomacy aimed at preventing the symbolic targeting from spilling over into concrete attacks on Emirati interests.
For Iran’s internal trajectory, much depends on whether the regime pairs this hard security messaging with any economic relief or political adjustments. If not, the population could interpret the move as evidence that authorities are preparing for confrontational scenarios rather than reform, increasing the likelihood that the next major protest wave will be met by both formal security forces and armed loyalist civilians. External actors seeking to influence Iran’s behavior will need to factor in this domestic climate when calibrating pressure and engagement strategies.
Sources
- OSINT