V32 Persian/Farsi Numbers Station: March 13, 2026

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Dan Greenall, who shares the following recording and notes:

Broadcaster: V32 Persian/Farsi numbers station

Date of recording: March 13, 2026

Starting time: 0226 UTC

Frequency: 7.842 MHz

Receiver location: Israel

Receiver and antenna: Kiwi SDR with MLA-30+ Active antenna

Mode: Single Side Band

Notes: Background material obtained via Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.
This radio signal first started broadcasting on February 28, about 12 hours after the United States and Israel began bombing Iran.

A man's voice can be heard speaking Persian, counting out a series of apparently random numbers. The numbers are read out for varying stretches of time, followed by a pause in which the word tavajjoh -- which translates as "attention" -- is spoken three times. (around the 48 second mark in the attached recording)

Beginning on March 4, the signal started to be jammed, with a cacophonous screech of electronic noise that made it all but impossible to hear the numbers. The original transmission paused for a period of time, then moved to another shortwave frequency.

The transmission, that has been dubbed V32 by at least one group, is called a numbers station, a Cold War-era tool that employs radio transmissions and old-school cryptology to transmit secret messages, usually to spies around the world. It's location is suspected to be somewhere in central Europe.

The attached recording of V32 was made on March 13, 2026 around 0230 hours UTC on 7842 kHz upper sideband USB using a Kiwi SDR located in Israel. I began the recording on 7841.9 kHz, but switched after a few minutes to 7842 kHz. This will account for the change in voice pitch.

Also attached is a brief recording of the jamming signal, or “bubble jammer”, made on March 6, 2026 on 7910 kHz (V32’s original frequency) at 0218 UTC.

Radio Farda (Persian language service): March 16, 2019

The following recording of the Persian language service of Radio Farda was made on March 16, 2018 starting at 11:30 UTC on 9990 kHz. The receiver was a KiwiSDR located in Maui, Hawaii using an 80-10 off-center dipole.

Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) English language service: September 22, 2017

Tehran, Iran

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Paul Walker, who shares the following recording and notes:

IRIB recorded on September 22, 2017 at 1930 UTC on 9810 kHz. Receiver used was a JRC NRD 535D, 25 ft long by 10 ft tall volleyball net magnetic loop antenna connected to an ALA100ln, DXEngineering HF preamp and Emtech ZM2 antenna tuner.

Radio Iran, Tehran: circa 1970s

Azadi square and tower, constructed 1971 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Many thanks to Shortwave Radio Audio Archive contributor, Dan Robinson, who submits two recordings of Radio Iran, Tehran.

Dan comments:

Back in the 70's, Radio Iran had an external service, as it still does today, and used the odd frequency of 12.176 mhz which was well heard in North America. Consulting Internet archives, I see an English language program time of 2000 UTC, which sounds about right. The interval signal and sign on are classic examples of old shortwave programming, and this one truly brought Iran right into the living room. The ID: "From the heart of the Middle East, in Iran's capital city, Tehran, the foreign language program department of Radio Iran invites you to listen for the next half hour as we bring you music, news and special features designed to acquaint you with the modern Iran today and to share with you something of the heritage of its fascinating cultural past.

Click on each title to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded players below.

Recording #1:

Recording #2:

Voice Of Iran, English: April 24, 2014

Many thanks to SWAA contributor, Frank, for this recording of the Voice of Iran English language service. 

Frank recorded this broadcast from his home in Europe on April 24, 2014, on 7,315 kHz, starting at 19:20 UTC. He used a Kenwood R-5000 receiver and Wellbrook ALA 1530+ antenna.

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Please subscribe to our podcast to receive future recordings automatically.

Voice of Iran: December 5, 1976

Golestan Palace, the seat of Qajar kings, a Unesco World Heritage Site (Image: Public Domain)

Many thanks to SRAA contributor, Greg Shoom for this 1976 recording of the Voice of Iran.

Greg notes:

"This recording might be of historical interest. It is the Voice of Iran from December 1976, three years before the revolution in Iran that overthrew the Shah and established the current Islamic Republic. The recording is of the full half-hour broadcast and includes the news, some Iranian music, and a segment on falconry as a sport. There is some occasional interference from single-sideband station."

This VOI recording was made on December 5, 1976 at 20:00 UTC on 9,022 kHz.

You can download the recording as an MP3 by clicking here, or simply listen via the embedded player below. Please subscribe to our podcast to receive future recordings automatically.

Voice Of Islamic Republic Of Iran, Dari: February 8, 2014

Map of Iran, circa 1982. (Source: CIA)

For your listening pleasure: Voice Of Islamic Republic Of Iran Dari language service. This broadcast was recorded on February 8, 2014 starting around 2:53 UTC on 9,740 kHz. This broadcast originated from the Kamalabad transmitter site (500 kW).

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below:

Voice Of Islamic Republic Of Iran, Hebrew: February 8, 2014

IRIB's northeast gate along Valiasr Ave. (Source: Wikipedia)

For your listening pleasure: Voice Of Islamic Republic Of Iran Hebrew language service. This broadcast was recorded on February 8, 2014 starting at 4:23 UTC on 9,755 kHz.

Though this recording was made with a filter width of 9 kHz, the audio sounds narrow and "tinny." 

Click here to download the recording as an MP3, or simply listen via the embedded player below: