Middle East in Turmoil: Israel Strikes Iranian State Broadcaster in Expanding Conflict
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The Israel-Iran conflict, now grinding through its fifth day, has crossed yet another threshold with Israel executing a high-impact strike on Iran&rsquo;s national broadcasting headquarters in the heart of Tehran. This assault, one of the most symbolic and deliberate operations of the campaign, signals a transition from conventional warfare to a full-spectrum confrontation&mdash;military, cyber, and psychological.
Late Monday evening, Israeli fighter jets targeted the offices of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), disrupting live transmissions and throwing Iran&rsquo;s media infrastructure into disarray. On-air anchors were seen abandoning their desks as studio feeds abruptly cut off. Smoke and flames rose from the broadcaster&rsquo;s building in Tehran&rsquo;s third district, a densely populated zone with over 300,000 residents.
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The Israeli military later acknowledged the operation, claiming the facility was being utilised as a command-and-control node by Iran&rsquo;s armed forces disguised under civilian operations. The strike was, according to their statement, &ldquo;surgical&rdquo; to reduce collateral damage, but the visual aftermath suggested otherwise, with injuries reported on-site and emergency services scrambling amid the chaos.
Strategically, this was more than just a military target. By striking Iran&rsquo;s national broadcaster, Israel sought to disarm Tehran&rsquo;s information warfare capability, a critical tool Iran uses to shape regional perception and project deterrence.
Compounding the concerns, Iranian security officials have disclosed that Israel is employing advanced mobile tracking technology to assassinate individuals within Iran&mdash;including nuclear scientists and senior commanders. According to sources close to the IRGC, this technology allows for geolocation of individuals even when mobile devices are switched off, exposing meeting sites and personal residences. It is suspected the same method was used in the targeted killing of Ismail Haniyeh while in Tehran.
In response, a Tehran parliamentarian has urged all military and government personnel to surrender their personal phones to prevent further exploitation. The IRGC has also issued public warnings about the use of unsecured communication devices, reflecting the internal alarm triggered by these revelations.
Hours before the attack on the broadcaster, Israel issued a rare evacuation alert for the third district of Tehran. This unprecedented warning appeared to precede a coordinated aerial operation that not only struck IRIB&rsquo;s facilities but also aimed at deeper infrastructure targets.
Israeli defence forces now claim they have achieved &ldquo;complete aerial control&rdquo; over Tehran&rsquo;s skies. According to official briefings, Israeli fighter aircraft destroyed over 120 missile launch platforms&mdash;nearly a third of Iran&rsquo;s estimated capability&mdash;and neutralised two ageing F-14 fighter jets that attempted to intercept them. Additionally, command centres belonging to the Quds Force, the IRGC&rsquo;s overseas operations unit, were struck in multiple precision raids across the capital.
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Iran, meanwhile, is not remaining passive. In retaliation for the June 13 assassinations of senior commanders in initial Israeli strikes, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei swiftly reshuffled the country&rsquo;s military leadership and vowed to make Israel &ldquo;regret this darkness.&rdquo; Within hours, Iranian missiles and drones rained down on Israel&rsquo;s major cities&mdash;Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa&mdash;causing panic, destruction, and forcing widespread use of underground shelters. Israeli society remains deeply disrupted, with thousands seeking refuge from constant aerial alerts.
The strike on Iran&rsquo;s state broadcaster has drawn sharp condemnation from Tehran. The IRGC issued a statement calling it an &ldquo;act of desperation&rdquo; and an attempt to muzzle Iran&rsquo;s strategic narrative. Senior Iranian officials have urged the United Nations Security Council to take immediate action to prevent what they describe as an &ldquo;ongoing campaign of aggression and cultural sabotage.&rdquo;
With each side upping the ante&mdash;both militarily and symbolically&mdash;the war is quickly transforming into a broader contest for supremacy, influence, and psychological edge. No longer restricted to border skirmishes or tit-for-tat missile exchanges, the conflict has widened into urban centres, state institutions, and the very digital infrastructure of both nations.
Despite international calls for restraint, neither Israel nor Iran shows signs of pulling back. Instead, both appear locked into a trajectory that could easily spiral into a region-wide confrontation if diplomatic channels remain dormant.

Iran's national TV station hit in Israeli strike

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June 17, 2025 | 13:46 IST