- Israel bombed Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB during a live broadcast, injuring staff and forcing anchors to flee mid-sentence.
- The attack is part of Israel’s broader targeting of journalists, with over 200 Palestinian media workers killed since October 2023.
- Iran condemned the strike as a war crime, demanding UN action, while Israel claimed IRIB was a military target without evidence.
- Witnesses described panic in Tehran as civilians fled, with Iranian officials reporting 224 dead and 1,200 injured in recent Israeli attacks.
- The CPJ warns Israel is the leading killer of journalists globally.
In a brazen violation of international law, Israel bombed the headquarters of Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB, during a live television broadcast on June 16, injuring multiple staff members and sending anchors fleeing mid-sentence. The strike, which reduced sections of the building to smoldering rubble, marks yet another escalation in Israel’s relentless targeting of media infrastructure, and it’s a pattern that has made its military the leading killer of journalists worldwide since the Gaza genocide began.
The attack unfolded in Tehran’s District 3, where Israeli forces had earlier issued evacuation warnings. Moments after explosions rocked the studio, anchor Sahar Emami abruptly left the screen as debris rained down, only to return later, defiantly continuing her broadcast amid the chaos. “What you noticed is the sound of a clear aggression by the Zionist regime on IRIB,” she declared before the second, louder blast forced her evacuation. The scene laid bare the reality of Israel’s disregard for press protections enshrined in Article 79 of the Geneva Conventions, which explicitly shield journalists in conflict zones.
A systematic war on truth-tellers
The strike on IRIB is not an isolated incident but part of a calculated campaign. Since October 2023, Israel has killed more than 200 Palestinian journalists in Gaza, which is more than any other nation or conflict in modern history. Shockingly, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) revealed in February that nearly 70% of all journalist deaths globally in 2024 were caused by the Israeli military. This statistic underscores a harrowing truth: Israel has weaponized censorship, silencing dissent through bullets and bombs.
IRIB President Peyman Jebelli framed the attack as an assault on Iran’s resolve, stating employees “declare with unwavering voice that our determination to play a decisive role in the hybrid war launched by the Zionist enemy has multiplied.” Yet the human cost was immediate. Hassan Abedini, IRIB’s deputy for political affairs, confirmed “several injuries among staff,” while semiofficial Iranian outlets reported at least one fatality.
Israel ignores international law
Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the strike as a “wicked act” and a “war crime,” demanding UN intervention. “The UNSC must act now to stop the genocidal aggressor,” a spokesperson said. The CPJ echoed this outrage, noting Israel’s impunity for killing Palestinian journalists had “emboldened” it to target media beyond Gaza.
Israel’s justification, claiming IRIB served as a “communications center” for military operations, rings hollow. No evidence was provided, mirroring past unsubstantiated allegations used to justify bombing media offices in Gaza and Lebanon, including the 2021 destruction of Al Jazeera’s bureau. Defense Minister Israel Katz openly branded IRIB a “propaganda and incitement broadcasting authority,” revealing the attack’s true motive: silencing narratives that challenge Israel’s dominance.
Meanwhile, Tehran residents described scenes of panic, with highways jammed as civilians fled. “Panic and fear are the words to describe the mood,” one witness told the BBC. Another, refusing to leave, stated, “If everything is going to be ruined, I’d rather my kids and I go with our home.” Such testimonies reflect the collective trauma inflicted by Israel’s aggression, which has killed 224 Iranians and injured over 1,200 since Friday, according to Iranian officials.
Israel’s attack on IRIB is a microcosm of its broader war on truth. From Gaza to Tehran, journalists – the very lifelines of accountability – are being systematically erased. The Geneva Conventions designed to protect them are treated as mere suggestions by a regime that operates with unchecked Western support. As the CPJ warned, this bloodshed must end. The world cannot claim to value press freedom while tolerating its greatest predator. If history judges societies by how they treat their truth-tellers, Israel’s legacy is already written in ash and blood.
Sources for this article include: