The Al-Araby TV office in the Iranian capital, Tehran, was severely damaged today, Sunday, by a direct missile strike that hit the building housing the headquarters. Field sources confirmed that there were no human casualties among the journalistic and technical staff, despite the intensity of the explosion that shook the residential area.
The explosion occurred at 2:45 PM local time, coinciding with the channel's correspondent being live on air. The shelling caused extensive parts of the studio to collapse and an immediate loss of communication with the staff who were performing their professional duties.
The channel's correspondent, Hazem Kallas, described the first moments of the attack, indicating that the missile directly hit the building while he was inside with fellow cameramen. He explained that divine providence prevented casualties among the employees, despite the destruction that affected the entire office facilities.
Images from the scene showed near-total destruction on the western side of the building, specifically on the second, third, and up to the fifth floors. The targeted building is located in 'Herawi' Square, northeast of Tehran, a crowded area that includes commercial complexes, medical clinics, and civilian facilities.
For its part, the Iranian Red Crescent reported 10 injured in the areas surrounding the building, most of whom were women and children who happened to be present at the scene. Rescue and firefighting teams rushed to the site to remove debris, clear closed roads, and restore vital services to the affected area.
Initial field data indicates that the attack was carried out by a missile launched by a drone that directly targeted the administrative building. This assault is the first of its kind to directly hit the headquarters of an international media outlet in Iran since the recent military escalation in the region began.
In official reactions, the Iranian Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs expressed their full solidarity with the work team, condemning this targeting, which they described as a blatant violation of international laws. Authorities affirmed that protecting media institutions is a duty guaranteed by international law under all circumstances.
The Deputy Minister of Culture for Media Affairs, Mohammad Reza Norouzpour, considered what happened to be a clear attempt to restrict media work and prevent the transmission of truth. He pointed out in his statements that the building is entirely civilian and does not contain any military installations, which reinforces the hypothesis of deliberate targeting of the press.
This incident comes after a series of explosions that occurred in the vicinity of offices and homes of journalists working for other international media outlets such as 'Russia Today' and additional news sources. Despite these challenges, the journalistic staff affirmed their continued commitment to performing their professional mission and conveying the picture from the heart of the Iranian capital.
The channel's correspondent concluded by confirming that the damage inside the office was 'very extensive,' with the live broadcast area completely destroyed. However, the team stressed that these targeting attempts would not deter them from continuing journalistic work and covering current events with full objectivity.
Journalism is not a crime, and we will continue to convey reality and the clearest picture, no matter the challenges.
שתף את דעתך
Missile targeting Al-Araby TV office in Tehran, injuring 10 civilians in the vicinity