Overview
- During a live broadcast of Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon address on Monday, BBC Persian translated the English word “regime” as the Persian “mardom,” meaning “people.”
- A BBC spokesman attributed the mistranslation to human error during simultaneous interpretation, with corrections delivered on air and on social media to Persian audiences.
- The error made it appear that the United States was targeting Iranian civilians rather than the governing authorities, prompting immediate online criticism and media complaints.
- Persian linguist Thamar Eilam-Gindin said the switch from “regime” to “people” fundamentally altered the meaning of Hegseth’s remarks.
- Coverage tied the incident to broader impartiality disputes facing the broadcaster, noting President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit over an allegedly misleading 2024 Panorama edit.