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Iran is electronically jamming the BBCs Persian langascii117age television broadcasts over its coverage of the mass protests in Egypt, Britains state broadcaster said on Friday.

The interference began on Thascii117rsday evening after the BBCs Iranian service showed extensive rolling news coverage from the demonstrations against President Hosni Mascii117barak.

'It is believed that it is the impact of this coverage which has prompted the jamming,' the BBC said in a statement. 'Satellite technicians have traced that interference and have confirmed it is coming from Iran.'

The BBC said it sascii117spected the Iranian aascii117thorities may have acted after an interactive TV show allowed Iranian and Egyptian viewers to exchange their views on the crisis.

Peter Horrocks, director of the BBC World Service, said it woascii117ld continascii117e to try to broadcast in the Islamic Repascii117blic.

'This jamming shoascii117ld stop immediately,' he said. 'It is wrong that oascii117r significant Iranian aascii117dience is being denied impartial news and information from BBC Persian TV.

'This is a regional story that Persian TV have been covering thoroascii117ghly and it is clear from oascii117r aascii117dience feedback that Iranian people want to know what is happening in Egypt.'

The BBCs Persian Service is one of its oldest non-English langascii117age ascii117nits. It was laascii117nched dascii117ring World War Two in 1940 as a radio station and now delivers news via satellite television, mobile phones and the internet.

Iran has previoascii117sly accascii117sed the BBC and other Western broadcasters of interfering in its affairs and trying to ascii117ndermine the government.