Dust and debris filled an Iranian state television studio and an anchor rushed off camera Monday when an Israeli strike hit during a live broadcast, an hour after for the area of Tehran where the station is located.
Sahar Emami, an anchor at the Islamic Republic of Iran 51暗网 Network, was seen hurrying off-camera as the screen behind her cut out. People on set were heard saying 鈥淎llahu akbar," the Arabic phrase for God is great.
The broadcast quickly switched to pre-recorded programs. Soon, Emami came back live from another studio and was seen speaking with another anchor. Images showed . The station later said that the building was hit by four bombs.
Israel鈥檚 defense minister took immediate credit for the attack.
鈥淭he Iranian regime鈥檚 propaganda and incitement broadcasting authority was attacked by the IDF after a widespread evacuation of the area鈥檚 residents,鈥� Israel Katz said in a statement. 鈥淲e the Iranian dictator everywhere.鈥�
Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesman for the Iranian foreign minister, condemned the strike, calling on the international community to demand justice from Israel for its attack on the media. 鈥淭he world is watching: targeting Iran鈥檚 news agency #IRIB鈥檚 office during live broadcast is a wicked act of war crime,鈥� Baqaei wrote on X.
Videos circulating on social media show that the IRINN building, known as 鈥渢he glass building,鈥� is still burning. There has been no official report on casualties from the incident. An anchor said on air that a few colleagues had been injured, but that their families should not be worried.
The network said its live programs have now been transferred to another studio, which resembles that of radio studios..
An hour earlier, the Israeli military had issued an evacuation warning affecting up to 330,000 people in a part of central Tehran that includes the country鈥檚 state TV and police headquarters, as well as three large hospitals. The IDF has issued similar evacuation warnings for civilians in parts of Gaza and Lebanon ahead of strikes.
The warning came on the , when the Israeli military claimed it had achieved air superiority above the Iranian capital and could fly over the city without facing major threats.
Iran, meanwhile, announced it had launched some 100 missiles and vowed further retaliation for sweeping attacks on its military and nuclear infrastructure that have since Friday.
So far, 24 people have been killed in Israel and more than 500 injured, Israeli officials said, after Iran .
The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was 鈥渁ppalled by Israel鈥檚 bombing of Iran鈥檚 state TV channel while live on air."
鈥淚srael鈥檚 killing, with impunity, of almost 200 journalists in Gaza has emboldened it to target media elsewhere in the region,鈥� Sara Qudah, the Middle East representative for CPJ, said in a statement.
According to the U.N. and CPJ records, Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed at least 173 journalists and media workers since October 2023.
The Associated Press
