Iranian media outlets sustain damage in U.S.-Israeli air campaign

During the 39-day U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign, Iranian media sites were struck, including the Al Araby TV office in Tehran’s Heravi district, where an explosion on March 29 injured ten staff members and ruined the broadcast studio, forcing the bureau chief Hazem Kallass and his team to work from public spaces for nearly a month. Earlier, on March 6, the headquarters of the reform-leaning newspaper Sazandegi Daily suffered extensive damage in an airstrike on Pasdaran Street.

Journalists such as Mohsen Salehikhah reported additional hits on smaller outlets like Ensaf News during later fighting. International press-freedom bodies, including the International Federation of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, did not respond to inquiries, while the Committee to Protect Journalists documented the attacks as part of a broader pattern of violence against media. Analysts like Nahid Siamdoust warned that the war could deepen censorship and self-censorship in Iran’s already restricted media environment. Overall, the strikes have disrupted news gathering, damaged infrastructure, and heightened risks for journalists operating in the country.