On 16 June 2025, Iranian news anchor Sahar Emami was on air in the studio of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) in Tehran when it was hit by an airstrike. The signal to the broadcast suddenly disappeared, Emami ran off the screen, and the ceiling caved in, throwing dust and debris into the room.
/*The Attack */
Veteran Sahar Emami was delivering a sentence when a big explosion broke the glass frontage of the studio. The footage of her scurrying out of the frame whilst alarms went off and debris fell was captured virally. She was back on air at another studio a few minutes later--a step that was termed by Iranian officials as a bold one.
/* Acknowledgement by Israel*/
Israel Defense Forces confirmed the attack, saying the building was the site of an operation by the Iranian military under a civilian veil and was part of a wider campaign of quelling propaganda. The attack was announced defense minister, according to Israel Katz, who took responsibility, saying the strike followed an evacuation warning in the Tehran District 3, where the IRIB headquarters offices are.
/*Casualties and reports*/
According to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), at least two staff members of IRIB media, an editor (Nima Rajabpour) and a studio coordinator (Masoumeh Azimi), were killed, and more were also injured; these deaths were confirmed by medical teams. Also, the Iranian Health Ministry made a report of the mass casualties throughout Tehran as the escalation started, because over 224 people were reported dead in Iran.
/*Symbolic and Strategic Fallout*/
According to analysts, launching attacks on a live broadcast studio explains a change by Israel in attacking media infrastructure, and is a substantial concern to media freedom and international humanitarian law. The CPJ condemned the attack as a possible war crime and pointed to a troubling precedent since there were previous attacks on journalists in Gaza. Iranian authorities- spokesmen of the IRIB and the foreign ministry- described the strike as an evil act of war and accused Israel of setting its eyes on journalists.
/*So what happens now?*/
Confirmed losses to the media personnel and public shock have been in the increase, as is international pressure. International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and United Nations appeals were made to protect journalists. Missile counterattacks continue, and Iran has threatened to retaliate against the attacks, causing death to civilians. Diplomacy is working overtime as the world observes whether this unparalleled assault against live coverage of the news would trigger a wider turn of events or result in renewed pleas for a ceasefire and media security provisions.