Dawn Stover
Iran’s state television network was broadcasting live when an Israeli strike hit the building. Credit: Iranian State TV, via IRIB
Sahar Emami, an anchorwoman for Iran’s state-owned television network, was in the middle of a live news broadcast when an Israeli strike hit the network’s headquarters in Tehran. She hurried offscreen as dust and debris rained down but resumed reporting from another studio minutes later.
Israel Defense Forces confirmed the strike on the broadcasting network, saying that it had targeted a “communication center that was being used for military purposes by the Iranian Armed Forces…under the guise of civilian activity” after warning residents of the area to evacuate. Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz referred to the television station as Iran’s “propaganda and incitement broadcasting authority.”
The attack was the most obvious example of an information war in which Israel and Iran are pushing their own narratives and attempting to shut down opposing ones—sometimes with military force. The war of words, coupled with a flood of fast-breaking news and viral images on social media, has left many people struggling to find accurate information.
Echoes of 2024. The current Israel-Iran war has some similarities to conflicts that occurred last year. On April 1, 2024, Israel bombed an Iranian consulate in Syria, killing seven military officers. Within two weeks, Iran responded by seizing a ship leased by a company with Israeli connections and launching missile strikes on Israel. Israel then retaliated with limited strikes in Iran and Syria before the conflict subsided.
In early October, Iran launched about 200 ballistic missiles at Israel. Israel responded with retaliatory strikes later that month.
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