An anchor on Iranian state television was forced to flee during a live news broadcast on Monday after an Israeli airstrike hit the headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting in Tehran. Sahar Emami was on air when an explosion struck the studio. Just moments earlier, she had said, “Listen, what you hear is the sound of the aggressor. You hear the sound of the aggressor attacking the truth.” The live footage showed the set filling with dust as the blast hit and the anchor ran for safety. According to Mehr News Agency, cited by Al Jazeera, Emami returned to the broadcast shortly after the strike.
According to the media reports, the explosion took place about an hour after Israel issued a warning for civilians to evacuate the central Tehran area. The region houses Iran’s state television headquarters, police command and several hospitals. Israeli officials reportedly said the alert impacted nearly 3,30,000 people. There is no official confirmation from Iranian authorities on the extent of damage or casualties.
The Israeli military reportedly claimed responsibility for the strike. Military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Israel had achieved air superiority over Tehran. He added that Israeli forces had destroyed over 120 missile launchers, and 10 command centres linked to Iran’s Quds Force. Iran responded by launching more than 100 missiles toward Israel. At least eight people were killed and over 500 were injured, according to the media reports. One missile landed near the U.S. consulate in Tel Aviv. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee reportedly confirmed that no American personnel were hurt.