Israel Widens Attacks Against Iran, Striking Broadcaster

New York Times

7 hours ago

Israel escalated its bombings across Iran on Monday, striking Iran's elite military force and the nation's state broadcaster and sending thousands fleeing from Tehran, as its offensive entered its fourth day and showed no signs of slowing.
Some of Israel's attack was televised. On Monday evening, an Iranian state news anchor was live on air when an explosion shook the scene, causing falling debris and the sound of screams and breaking glass. Iranian state media said the blast injured some employees, disabled its website and forced the broadcaster briefly off air.
In what is likely to be a more consequential strike, Israel also bombed the Tehran command center of the Quds Force, one of the most important and covert arms of Iran's military. The force largely runs Iran's foreign operations — including training and arming its proxy groups, like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza — and any disruption could be a significant blow to Iran's military capabilities and regional reach.
Iran fired a barrage of missiles toward Israel on Sunday and Monday, including a strike on Israel's largest oil refinery, though many were intercepted by Israeli air defenses.
Israel's expansion of its strikes — from nuclear and military targets to energy infrastructure and a government broadcaster — showed that this offensive is different from Israel's more targeted attacks against Iran in recent years.
Israel appears to be pouncing on an Iran weakened by nearly two years of blows against its military might, including assassinations of top Iranian commanders, bombings of air defenses and the decimation of the militant groups who were its strongest allies across the Middle East.
By Daniel Wood
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