A live broadcast of Iran’s state-run television was abruptly interrupted after loud explosions were heard and studio lights went out on Monday. The disruption was caused by an Israeli airstrike on the headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
Moments after the incident, the broadcast resumed, and IRIB head Peyman Jebelli appeared on screen holding a blood-stained document. In a defiant statement, he said that the channel and its staff would be “standing until the end.”
The airstrike killed at least one employee of the IRIB Secretariat. Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the attack, labeling it a “war crime” and a “wicked act.”
In contrast, Israeli officials defended the strike, accusing IRIB of being the “propaganda and incitement broadcasting authority of the Iranian regime,” and a supporter of Iran’s armed forces.
The incident marks another flashpoint in the ongoing hostilities between Iran and Israel, which have intensified in recent weeks with cross-border attacks and retaliatory operations.
