Tensions between Israel and Iran escalated sharply on Monday as Israeli airstrikes hit the headquarters of Iran’s state broadcaster, causing multiple casualties and briefly knocking the channel off air.
The attack, which follows days of mutual threats and military posturing, has drawn strong international concern, including divided responses from G7 leaders.
According to Iranian state TV, “a number” of staff members were killed in the strike on the sprawling Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) complex in Tehran’s District 3, a location that had earlier been highlighted on Israeli-issued evacuation maps.
A state broadcaster journalist reported that employees were “working until the very last moment before the attack.”
In a live broadcast shortly after the strike, IRIB chief Peyman Jebeli appeared on camera holding a blood-stained piece of paper, declaring, “State TV and its employees are standing until the end.”
Video footage shared on social media showed debris crashing into a news studio during a live broadcast, with the visibly shocked anchor stepping off camera.
The network resumed broadcasting minutes later, with on-screen messages condemning the strike and accusing Israel of trying to “silence the voice of truth.”
Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, confirmed the attack, stating that it came after a “large-scale evacuation of local residents.”
He described the IRIB as the “Iranian propaganda and incitement megaphone” and claimed the operation aimed to eliminate it.
Katz said Israel would “strike the Iranian dictator wherever he is.”
His statement was preceded by an evacuation warning issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), urging residents of Tehran’s District 3 to leave the area immediately.
The IDF warned that “presence in this area endangers your life.”
Multiple explosions were reported in western Tehran around the time of the strike, with Iranian social media sharing videos showing smoke rising from hillsides.
According to Iranian media, the country’s air defense systems were activated, and military bases in the capital were targeted.
As the conflict unfolds, US President Donald Trump, speaking at the G7 summit in Canada, claimed that Iran wants to talk about de-escalating the conflict.
“They should talk immediately before it’s too late,” he said, calling the situation “painful for both parties.”
When pressed on possible US military involvement, Trump declined to elaborate, saying he didn’t want to talk about that.
Meanwhile, CBS reported that Trump has no intention of signing a G7 joint statement on the Israel-Iran crisis.
Other world leaders at the G7 showed less unity.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged that while there was consensus on de-escalation as an end goal, leaders still had to “be clear about how it is to be brought about.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized support for Israel’s right to defend itself and called for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear capabilities, though he did not explicitly back calls for de-escalation.
On the ground in Iran, civilians voiced fear and exhaustion.
One resident told the BBC, “All the nightmares from my childhood have come back… I’m exhausted. I have nothing left to lose.” Another said the situation had left people emotionally numb due to decades of hardship.
The Ghanaian government has already begun evacuating its citizens from Iran and shut its embassy, citing security concerns.
Meanwhile, in Israel’s Haifa, where Iranian strikes landed over the weekend, three people were confirmed killed.
Residents were seen combing through rubble in residential neighborhoods, collecting belongings amid scenes of devastation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited an air base Monday, praising his forces and stating, “We are on the way to achieving our two goals: elimination of the nuclear threat and elimination of the missile threat.”
He claimed that Israel “controls the skies of Tehran” and contrasted Israel’s targeted strikes with what he called Iran’s attacks on civilians.
As of the latest reports, Iran’s Health Ministry says over 224 people have died since the conflict intensified last Friday.
