Israel strikes Iranian state TV after issuing Tehran evacuation order

Attack interrupting live broadcast came after IDF warned of assault on capital

FT 16-06-2025 Edited by Jonathan Wheatley and Philip Georgiadis in London, George Russell in Hong Kong, and Alexandra White, Zehra Munir and Peter Wells in New York

Israeli missiles have hit the Iranian state television headquarters in Tehran, after the Israel Defense Forces issued an evacuation order to civilians.

The strike temporarily interrupted a broadcast, with the host leaving mid-programme as the studio filled with smoke. The building was later shown on fire by the country’s official news agency.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the broadcaster “was attacked by the IDF after a widespread evacuation of residents in the area”.

The IDF had earlier called on civilians to leave parts of Tehran’s District Three, in which the TV studio is located.

State television aired live images of its glass headquarters burning, with plumes of flame and smoke. A local TV reporter said that efforts were under way to extinguish the fire, adding “four bombs” had hit the facility. He said the death toll was not yet available.

Peyman Jebelli, head of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, said that “the hybrid warfare” launched by Israel “will in no way disrupt our resolve to achieve media victory”.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier that Israel had gained control of the skies over Tehran, which marked a “change in the entire campaign”.

He added that Israel was “on our way” to eliminating Iran’s nuclear programme and its ballistic missile capabilities.

As the conflict between the two regional powers intensified, Israeli rescue workers said eight people had been killed in an Iranian missile barrage on the country’s cities, bringing the Israeli death toll since Friday to 23.

Iranian authorities said late on Sunday that 224 civilians had been killed by Israeli strikes, along with 17 high-ranking military officials.

The latest assaults came as international leaders arrived in Canada for a G7 summit and said diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis would be a priority.☀