Israel has been targeting the Iranian state broadcaster with its latest volley of bombs in the region, with Iran pushing back on the extent of the damage.
Last night, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had destroyed the HQ of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in Tehran, according to several Israeli press outlets.
According to The Times of Israel, the IDF said the state broadcaster’s main complex was being used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, describing it as the “Iranian terrorist regime’s communications center” being used to “advance military activities under the guise of civilian activity and assets, in addition to the propaganda activities that emanate from the communications center.”
While explosions were clearly heard around the complex and Iranian media reported smoke, the Iranian state broadcaster pushed back on the extent of the damage being communicated by the IDF and said there were no casualties. Anadolu reported that the head of Iran’s state broadcaster said there were no reports of fatalities or injuries and that broadcasts were not disrupted. The broadcaster appeared to be live as of this morning.
At the same time, the English-language site of the state-backed Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran’s official news agency since 1934, was also offline on Tuesday, having been available over the weekend.
As with any escalating conflict, a state broadcaster is an incredibly useful tool for both locals seeking information and the international world, with an internet blackout in Iran rendering IRIB’s activities more crucial.
Last year, Israeli aircraft struck IRIB HQ, briefly interrupting a live broadcast, in an incident that Iranian media reported killed at least one staff member.
Reports, which we have not verified, emerged two days ago that the IRIB satellite feed had been hacked for several minutes. During the disruption, reports said that speeches by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu addressed to the Iranian people were aired, along with footage of strikes on various sites including the office of Ali Khamenei.
This was on the day that Supreme Leader Khamenei was confirmed as being killed, having ruled the nation for 47 years.
Footage went viral of the moment the Iranian broadcaster announced his death, reading a statement from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Parts of the country’s population have been rejoicing, while others are in mourning.
Melanie Goodfellow contributed reporting.