Iran's state television and radio broadcaster IRIB was attacked by Israel on Monday. A live broadcast was interrupted as a result of the attack.
News anchor Sahar Emami at the IRIB channel Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN) was seen running away from the camera when the screen behind her went black.
In the background, several people on the set could be heard shouting Allahu akbar, the Arabic expression for God is great. The studio itself was filled with both dust and debris.
The broadcast quickly switched to pre-recorded programs before Emami returned to the screen from another studio. Images showed smoke and flames in the sky, and the broadcaster later said that the building had been hit by four bombs.
Iranian news agencies reported a few hours after the attack that a female employee had died from her injuries. Earlier, a news anchor had said on air that some colleagues had been injured but that their families did not need to worry.
Israel: Strikes everywhere
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz immediately took credit for the attack.
“The Iranian regime’s propaganda office was attacked by the Israeli military (IDF) after a large-scale evacuation of the area’s residents,” Katz said after the attack.
“We will strike the Iranian dictator everywhere,” he added.
A spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack.
“Attacking Iran's IRIB news agency during a live broadcast is a vicious war crime,” wrote Esmaeil Baqaei on X.
Unknown extent of damage
Israel issued an evacuation warning for the district where IRIB has its headquarters in the city of Tehran about an hour before the attack.
The Israeli warning in Tehran applied to northern District 3, which also includes four hospitals and several other medical facilities.
Several countries, including Oman, Kuwait and Qatar, have embassies in the area, and the French news agency AFP has its offices there.
In total, around 1 million people live and work in the area, according to the Tehran Times.
Many thousands of Iranians have attempted to flee the Iranian capital on Monday for fear of new Israeli attacks.
