The US-Israeli bombing damaged the RT office in Tehran, shocking the global media entities. The Kremlin-funded broadcaster RT said its office in Tehran suffered damage after a strike linked to the United States and Israel.
RT’s Iran bureau chief Khami Khamedi said a building close to the network’s office was destroyed in the attack. In a video filmed overlooking rubble, he showed damage inside the office and said the strike occurred in the surrounding area rather than directly in the newsroom. Meanwhile, RT’s English-language website reported that staff from its Arabic service were evacuated as a precaution, with correspondent Rania Qasimi confirming no injuries.
Russia condemns the strike
Russian officials strongly criticised the attack. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Western powers of deliberately targeting areas near media outlets to suppress coverage. She described the strike as an attempt to prevent the world from seeing events unfold on the ground.
Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces said it launched a broad strike in central Tehran, pledging intensified operations against key elements of the Iranian leadership. Residents reported loud explosions across multiple districts, with blasts shaking apartment buildings in the city centre.
Escalation and broader context
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps later said it fired missiles toward Israeli targets, including sites it claimed were linked to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The developments come amid longstanding disputes over RT’s global reach. After Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the European Commission banned RT and sister outlet Sputnik across the bloc, citing influence concerns. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly defended the network as a key platform for Moscow’s narrative.
