Israel bombs Iranian state TV during live broadcast, claims it’s a military propaganda tool

Israel on Monday shelled an Iranian state television (IRIB) during a live broadcast on the ground that it is being used for military purposes.

A female broadcaster was on air during routine programme when a massive explosion rocked the studio, with the anchor fleeing her desk amid smoke and rubble. The broadcast then went dark.

This latest action of Israel signalled a broadening of its bombing campaign in Iran, with fatalities exceeding 240.

The Israeli military had claimed it was only striking targets connected to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.

But Israel has now issued several evacuation orders for civilians in Tehran, in areas where hundreds of thousands of people live. One of those evacuation orders focused on the neighborhood where Iran’s state TV is located.

It’s not clear how many civilians have managed to evacuate, or whether such a mass exodus is even possible on such a short timetable.

Israel’s strikes have killed around 250 Iranians since Friday, according to the health ministry. Iran’s missile strikes on Israel have killed 24 Israelis, according to the Israeli emergency service.

The Israeli military says it has full control of the airspace over Tehran after knocking out Iran’s air defense systems.

Israel believed it had an operational window to assassinate Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei over the weekend, but President Trump opposed it.

Israel has asked the Trump administration to join the war in order to eliminate Iran’s underground uranium enrichment facilities, but so far the U.S. has only been helping Israel defend itself.

After Iran’s latest missile barrage on Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a statement stressing that the residents of Tehran “are going to pay the price soon” the attacks on Israeli cities.

Several minutes later he clarified that he didn’t mean that civilians would be targeted, but rather evacuated from their homes.

Shortly before the attack on the state television Katz issued another statement saying that “Iran’s propaganda mouthpiece is going to be silenced.”

After 30 minutes, Iranian state TV’s broadcast resumed from a new studio. Presenter Sahar Emami, who was on air during the strike, returned to the broadcast.