An Iranian state TV anchor, Sahar Emami, who was broadcasting during the Israeli attack on the Iranian Broadcasting Corporation, accused Israel of violating the freedom of expression while returning to the air.
Senior officials at the state-run broadcasting service confirmed the Israeli attack, stating that the voice of the country and the Islamic revolution will not be silenced with a military strike.
“The Zionist regime, the enemy of the Iranian nation, minutes ago conducted a military operation against the Islamic Republic of Iran news network”, part of IRIB, said a senior official at the broadcasting service, Hassan Abedini. “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.”
סחר אימאמי, המגישה ששידרה בזמן תקיפת תאגיד השידור האיראני חזרה לשדר ואמרה: ישראל פגעה בחופש הביטוי pic.twitter.com/iTunC8cmep
— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) June 16, 2025
Israel Strikes Iran’s State TV Iranian Broadcasting Corporation Compound
Dramatic footage that surfaced online was widely shared on social platforms like X, showing a missile strike hitting the compound of Iran’s state TV studio while the anchor was broadcasting the news. The state broadcasting service station was hit by Israeli strikes while Iran’s most celebrated woman anchor, Sahar Imami, was live on air. She is a mother of two.
Also Read: Trump Rejected Israeli Plan to Kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: Report
When the strikes hit the station, Imami was hosting a news bulletin. In the videos, widely shared on social media, she is seen abruptly rising from her seat while the studio was trembling from the hit. The anchor is seen fleeing while people in the background recite “Allahu Akbar,” an arabic prayer meaning God is great.
Israeli Defense Minister Threatns The Iranian Broadcasting Corporation
Earlier, the Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened the state-run Iranian Broadcasting Corporation, saying “the Iranian propaganda and incitement mouthpiece is on its way to disappearing.”
As the hostilities between the two countries continue to escalate, Israel on Monday issued a warning confirming the evacuation of northern District 3 in Tehran. The warning was issued ahead of planned air strikes that will target military infrastructure of the Iranian regime. This area is considered a strategically significant part of the Iranian capital and is also home to the country’s state broadcaster, IRIB. It also houses at least four hospitals and a major police infrastructure. The embassies of Qatar, Oman and Kuwait, as well as UN offices and the Agence France-Presse bureau, are also located here.
“The Iranian propaganda and incitement megaphone is about to disappear,” said Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, adding that evacuations were already underway.
Also Read: Iran Drafting Bill to Potentially Withdraw from Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Report
