Apple has banned Israeli public broadcaster Kan from broadcasting the new season of its hit series Tehran due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, Ynet learned Tuesday.
The tech giant, which purchased international rights to the series outside of Israel for its Apple TV+ streaming service in 2020, is officially blocking broadcast of the series until the conflict ends.
Kan has attempted to reverse the decision, but so far to no avail and the new season, originally scheduled for release several weeks ago, remains in limbo for the moment.
“The broadcast date of the third season of Tehran was postponed by mutual agreement following the outbreak of war,” Kan said in a statement. “Our team is constantly in discussions with Apple TV+ to set a new premiere date.”
In the meantime, Apple has also decided to put kiboh on the production of the fourth season of the series, parts of which have already been written.
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The legendary Glenn Close as Marjan Montazeri in Tehran
(Photo: Apple TV+)
According to sources familiar with the details of the decision, the reason is the “striking resemblance between the storyline and real events.” Sources believe that Apple is waiting to see how real-world events play out, as they believe that “starting a regional war would render the story of Israeli intelligence agents against Iran irrelevant.”
Kan indicated that “no decision has yet been made regarding a fourth season.”
Tehran, starring Niv Sultan, is one of the Public Broadcasting Corporation’s most successful series to date. Due to its success, Apple acquired it for a substantial multi-million dollar sum, which also reflects the investment in the seasons filmed since the acquisition.
