Iran's state broadcaster condemns Israel for attacking its headquarters

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Iran's state broadcaster condemns Israel for attacking its headquarters

2025-06-26 11:09 Last Updated At：17:07

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) Peyman Jebelli on Wednesday condemned Israel for attacking its headquarters last week, declaring a lawsuit against Israel for violating the broadcaster's freedom of press and speech.

Hit by Israeli airstrikes during live broadcast on June 16, the IRIB building in Tehran was severely damaged, with walls charred, glass broken, and debris scattered all over the ground.

"Behind me is the broadcasting studio of the IRIB News Network, which you can go and see up close. In this studio, when the news anchor was broadcasting live and millions of people were watching it, Israel launched more than six missiles, with two of them hitting the building behind me and three hitting the top of the studio. The Israeli airstrikes disrupted the work of our news anchor and the entire broadcast. This scene was witnessed by people in Iran and around the world. When Israel allows itself to infringe on the freedom of speech and the rights of people in front of millions and even billions of people, you cannot expect it to observe moral norms," Jebelli said.

On June 13, Israel launched major airstrikes on different areas in Iran, including nuclear and military sites, killing senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians. Iran responded by launching several waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel, inflicting casualties and heavy damage.

On Saturday, the U.S. Air Force bombed three Iranian nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. In retaliation, Iran on Monday targeted the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar with missiles.

Following Iran's attack, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire between Israel and Iran would begin around 0400 GMT Tuesday. Both Iran and Israel later confirmed the start of the ceasefire.

The Israel-Iran conflict has claimed the lives of more than 600 people in Iran, with many scientific research institutions, military facilities, and infrastructure hit by Israeli airstrikes.

While announcing the "end of the 12-day war" on Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged all government bodies and revolutionary institutions to focus all their efforts on reconstruction.

Hamas ready for complete withdrawal from Gaza governmental scene: official

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) is ready to completely withdraw from the governmental scene in the Gaza Strip and engage in a positive and constructive manner with the second phase of the plan to end the war in the enclave, said Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim on Friday. In a statement, Naim said that the ceasefire deal became an international plan after being adopted by the United Nations Security Council. However, it is now facing obstacles.

He accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of reneging on his commitments and escalating the situation, in an attempt to return to war and save his political career. Pointing out that Israeli strikes have caused hundreds of casualties since the announcement of the ceasefire, the Hamas official said the escalation cannot occur without cover or green light from the United States. He said Hamas has committed to all its obligations under the ceasefire agreement, as attested by the mediators and the U.S., adding that it is ready for the second phase of the agreement.

He emphasized the Movement's commitment to the establishment of a fully empowered Palestinian body to administer Gaza, and its complete withdrawal from the governmental scene.

Naim warned that the situation will not be sustainable if the continued escalation of Israeli military operations and the persistence of the catastrophic humanitarian situation remain unaddressed, adding that the circle of fire may expand, which is what Netanyahu aspires to.

Since a ceasefire took effect on Oct 10, 2025, Gaza's death toll has risen to 439 with 1,223 injuries, according to local health authorities on Friday. Rescue teams have recovered 688 bodies during that period. In the broader conflict, at least 71,409 Palestinians have been killed and 171,304 wounded since Israel's military campaign in Gaza began in October 2023.