ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Israel stated on Monday that its forces struck Iran’s “propaganda” center that was being used for “covert” military operations, vowing to defeat Iran “everywhere.” The remarks came shortly after Israeli forces struck a building for the state-run Iranian broadcaster in northeastern Tehran.
In a statement on X, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that “the Iranian regime's propaganda and incitement broadcasting authority was attacked by the [Israeli Defense Forces] IDF after a widespread evacuation of residents in the area.
"We will defeat the Iranian dictator everywhere,” Katz vowed.
Katz’s remarks came shortly after Israel on Monday struck the headquarters of the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) northeast of Tehran.
An hour earlier, the IDF had urged Iranian citizens in Tehran’s District 3 to leave “immediately,” for “your safety and health,” warning that “in the coming hours, the Israeli army will take measures in this area,” adding that “your presence in this area endangers your lives.”
Tehran's District 3 is a highly developed and important region often called the "capital of the Iranian capital.” The densely-populated district is home to numerous key institutions, including diplomatic missions, United Nations headquarters, as well as the IRIB premises.
For its part, the IDF stated that the building that was struck was being used “under civilian cover to conduct covert military operations using government equipment and assets,” adding that “the destruction of this infrastructure would weaken Iran’s military capabilities.
In a statement on X, the IDF added that the IRIB building was a “center operated under the direct direction of [Iran’s] Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC],” describing the latter as “an organization that has long called for the destruction of Israel.”
Following the Israeli strike on IRIB, Iran’s English-speaking broadcaster, Press TV, relayed Tehran’s warning to “residents of Tel Aviv” asking them “to evacuate areas where Israeli military infrastructure is located,” moments after the IDF had signalled a new barrage of Iranian missiles was en route to northern Israel.
Israel launched a massive aerial assault on Iran on Friday, killing several top military commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran has since retaliated with waves of missile and drone attacks targeting key infrastructure in Israel’s northern port city of Haifa and the central economic hub of Tel Aviv.
Iran says that over 224 civilians have been killed in the Israeli attacks - most of whom are civilians - since Friday. Meanwhile, Israel reports 24 civilian deaths from Iran’s retaliatory strikes.
