Israel Attacks Iran’s State Television, Live On The Air

The Israeli military attacked the headquarters of Iran’s state broadcaster in Tehran on Monday evening, the Israeli defense minister and Iranian media said. Videos and images from the scene showed the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting building on fire.

A news anchor — a woman identified by Iranian state media as Sahar Emami — was speaking live on the air when an explosion shook the building, followed by the sound of breaking glass and screams, all carried live on television. The screen filled with smoke and debris as the anchor hurried off.

Hassan Abedini, the deputy director of Iran’s state broadcaster, said some employees were injured in the Israeli strike, without specifying a number. He said firefighters were trying to contain the fires at the building, which were sending a large column of black smoke into the air.

Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, confirmed the attack, saying that it took place as programs were being broadcast live. It said that programming was “briefly halted” but “returned to normal” after a few minutes.

The Iranian state broadcaster has long been associated with the government’s dominance of public life and the country’s media. Iran is widely considered to be one of the most repressive states in terms of press freedom; journalists who cross government red lines can face severe consequences.

Before the strike, Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, had said in a statement that “the mouthpiece of Iranian propaganda and incitement is about to disappear.”

The Israeli military later said in a statement that its air force had struck the building to target a “communication center” that was being used by the Iranian military “under the guise of civilian activity.” The claim could not be independently verified.

Elham Abedini, another Iranian state television anchor, captured the wreckage in an Instagram livestream. Her video showed chaos as people ran and shouted amid debris. “They are in the glass building, they are all there,” she can be heard telling a guard in uniform, referring to the channel’s employees.

The attack was preceded by an Israeli evacuation order for the densely-populated Tehran district where the state broadcaster lies. In that statement, the Israeli military said it planned to target “military infrastructure” in the area “in the coming hours.”