Tehran, Karafarinane Eghtesad – The Army has strongly condemned Israel’s bombing of the headquarters of Iran’s national television, calling it not only a flagrant violation of international law but also a declaration of war against accurate reporting and public enlightenment.

The Israeli regime attacked the Iranian national television, known as the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (I.R.I.B.), on Monday evening. Live programming at the I.R.I.B. News Network was briefly halted but returned to normal a few minutes later.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Army described the attack as a barbaric crime by the “bloodthirsty and savage Zionist regime,” saying Israel has surpassed “even the most-wicked mass murderers in history.”

“This bloodthirsty regime, with the immunity granted by powers and international bodies, has now not only targeted nations—especially children and women—and not only journalists and truth-seekers of history, but has also taken hostage the very philosophy behind the formation of treaties and international organizations,” the statement said.

It added that Israel’s actions have “exposed the hypocrisy of those who claim to defend human rights.”

The Army noted that more than 200 journalists were killed by Israel over the past year without accountability, adding that the I.R.I.B., as a command center of the media war, was deliberately targeted in this latest attack, which left several I.R.I.B. staff members dead or wounded.

What will remain in the collective memory of the Iranian nation, the statement continued, is the perseverance of I.R.I.B. staff in continuing their work despite threats and attacks. It particularly praised the courageous efforts of anchor Ms. Sahar Emami in swiftly resuming news coverage after the strike.

The Army concluded that this blatant injustice will not go unanswered and warned of a bitter reckoning awaiting the perpetrators and their supporters.

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