An Israeli airstrike hit the headquarters of Iran's state broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), in Tehran on Monday, setting the building ablaze and temporarily disrupting transmissions.
Footage circulating on social media showed the IRIB building engulfed in flames with thick smoke billowing into the sky. The dramatic scenes included a visibly injured person with blood on his hands speaking to the camera as emergency sirens wailed in the background.
In a remarkable moment captured before the feed went dark, a news anchor was seen abandoning the studio mid-broadcast as alarms sounded and tremors shook the facility, highlighting the sudden nature of the attack.
Defiant Response
Despite the significant damage to its headquarters, IRIB managed to resume live broadcasting just hours after the strike, demonstrating resilience amid the escalating military confrontation between Israel and Iran.
"The Zionist regime, the enemy of the Iranian nation, minutes ago conducted a military operation against the Islamic Republic of Iran news network," said Hassan Abedini, a senior IRIB official, in a defiant statement after broadcasts resumed.
"The regime [Israel] was unaware of the fact that the voice of the Islamic revolution and the great Iran will not be silenced with a military operation," Abedini added.
Military Justification
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed the strike, claiming that the building was being used by Iranian armed forces. This attack comes as part of a broader pattern of escalation, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting that Israel could potentially target Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The strike on a media facility marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, raising concerns about the targeting of civilian infrastructure and press freedom, even as Israel maintains the building served dual purposes.
This incident occurs against the backdrop of growing calls for dialogue, including from Tehran's cardinal, who has urged for peaceful resolution as tensions between the two nations continue to worsen.
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