Bombed live on air, now a hero: state TV anchor becomes a symbol of resistance in Iran
state TV anchor Sahar Emami was delivering a live broadcast in Tehran this week when she was interrupted by loud booms.
Shocked viewers – who have been closely following state media for news of
the war between Israel and Iran
– saw the room fill with smoke, dust and debris.
'The sound you just heard is the sound of the aggressor attacking our homeland, the sound of the aggressor seeking to stifle rightfulness and truth,' said Emami, wagging her index finger as the cameras kept rolling.
'What you just witnessed ... this smoke-filled studio of the news network,' she went on, before being forced to abandon her seat as a second explosion rocked the building.
READ MORE
Government figures and state media quickly seized on Emami's determination to keep broadcasting, making her an instant symbol of resistance dubbed the 'Iranian lioness'.
[
Israelis under attack from Iran shift to full war mode
Opens in new window
]
Minutes after the second blast, Emami reappeared live from another studio, even as videos posted online showed fire and smoke rising from the glass headquarters of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting group. Within hours, her image was plastered across social media and featured in a large mural in the Iranian capital.
President Masoud Pezeshkian called her a 'symbol of resilience, steadfastness and unyielding spirit'. Fatemeh Mohajerani, government spokesperson, likened the 'brave-hearted daughter of Iran' with Gordafarid, a legendary Persian heroine and one of the first female Iranian warriors, as depicted in Shahnameh, a 1,000-year-old epic poem by the Persian writer Ferdowsi.
Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said: 'Last night, in the midst of the Zionist regime's savage attack ... a courageous Iranian woman stood before the camera – fearless, steadfast and filled with love for [her] homeland.' According to the IRNA news agency, he added: 'She was the voice of Iran.'
Less than 24 hours after the strike, a mural was unveiled in Vali-e Asr square in downtown Tehran, according to state media, depicting Emami on air with her index finger raised, clad in the black chador worn by conservative women in Iran.
The mural used a verse from Ferdowsi about 'a maiden in the battlefield', another reference to Gordafarid. The references to pre-Islamic literature, which has often been sidelined by the Islamic republic, were seen as an attempt to inspire nationalistic sentiments.
Mohajerani proposed that a courage in journalism award should be named after Emami. Sporting stars joined the rush to praise her, with karate athlete Amir Mehdizadeh and sport shooter Javad Foroughi dedicating their gold medals from international competitions to the broadcaster.
Emami (40), who has a degree in agricultural engineering, joined IRIB in 2008 and became known for the current affairs show Pishkhan Khabar.
The conservative broadcasting group has faced criticism from reformist politicians and many Iranians for serving as a mouthpiece for the autocratic state, which itself stifles freedom of expression. It is seen as highly selective in its coverage of international and domestic developments, such as protests that followed the death in 2022 of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who had been arrested by Iran's notorious morality police.
But even some Iranians critical of the regime said they were inspired by Emami's example.
Mansoureh (45), a reform-minded critic of the Islamic republic in Tehran, said: 'When I saw that woman on TV, I felt so ashamed of myself. What am I scared of? I told myself that I will have to remain where I am and defend my city.'
Others remained sceptical, however. 'To me, it looked more like a performance. There had been an evacuation order and she seemed mentally prepared,' said Sara (58), a nurse, also in the capital.
'She knew that if she could hold her composure for a few moments on live television, she would be hailed as a heroine ... And the Islamic republic is using that to serve its own propaganda purposes.'
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has called on Iranians to 'stand up for your freedom' against the regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei since Israel launched its large-scale offensive against Iranian targets on Friday, prompting Iran to return missile and drone fire. But there is so far little sign of the war sparking anti-government protests, despite sporadic large-scale demonstrations in recent years.
On Tuesday, IRIB released a video showing the damage to the building, including the fourth floor – the location of the newsroom and the live studio where Emami was presenting at the time of the assault. State television showed images of the building on fire again, saying wind had reignited embers from Monday's strike.
Israel attacked the building about an hour after issuing an evacuation order for Tehran's district 3, where the IRIB headquarters is located, along with the police headquarters and three hospitals.
Three people were confirmed killed in the strike, including Nima Rajabpour, news producer, and Masoumeh Azimi, a member of the office staff. The Committee to Protect Journalists said it was 'appalled' by the attack on state television.
Emami told viewers the attack had 'targeted freedom of speech, the truth, and the voices of women, men and children who were martyred in recent days'.
- Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
10 hours ago
- Irish Times
European and Ukrainian leaders to spell out to Trump the dangers of Putin concessions
European and Ukrainian leaders will speak to US president Donald Trump at a virtual meeting on Wednesday in advance of his summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin, as they attempt to impress on him the dangers of selling out Kyiv's interests in pursuit of a ceasefire. The video conference, to include Trump, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and the leaders of Germany, Finland, France, Britain, Italy, Poland and the European Union, is expected to take place at 12.00pm, a German government spokesperson said. Trump is due to host Putin at talks in Alaska on Friday that the US president has said will serve as a 'feel-out' meeting in his efforts to end the war in Ukraine, started by Russia's full invasion in 2022. Trump agreed last week to the first US-Russia summit since 2021, abruptly shifting course after weeks of voicing frustration with Putin for resisting Washington's peace imitative. Trump said his envoy had made 'great progress' at talks in Moscow. READ MORE The US president says both Kyiv and Moscow will have to cede land to end the war. Russian troops have already occupied almost a fifth of Ukraine. [ Ukraine fears fresh offensive to coincide with US-Russia summit Opens in new window ] The unpredictability of how the summit will play out has fuelled European fears that the US and Russian leaders could take far-reaching decisions and even seek to coerce Ukraine into an unfavourable deal. 'We are focusing now to ensure that it does not happen – engaging with US partners and staying co-ordinated and united on the European side. Still a lot of time until Friday,' said one senior official from eastern Europe. On Tuesday Trump's administration tempered expectations for major progress toward a ceasefire, calling his meeting with Putin in Alaska a 'listening exercise'. Nato's secretary general will also attend the conference hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. European leaders, who are wary of provoking Trump's ire, have repeatedly emphasised that they welcome his peace efforts, while underlining that there should be no deal about Ukraine without Ukraine's participation. [ Why Putin has good reasons to be hopeful for Friday's summit meeting with Trump Opens in new window ] Senior European officials have said they see a risk of a deal being struck that is unfavourable for Europe and Ukraine's security. They said European unity would be vital if that happened. A source familiar with internal US deliberations said it could not be ruled out that Trump would seek a deal directly with Putin without involving Ukraine or Europe. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday the summit will be a 'listening exercise' for Trump to hear what it will take to get to a deal. After Wednesday's call, Trump and US vice-president JD Vance are expected to speak to European leaders at a separate online meeting, the German spokesperson said. That will be followed by an online meeting of the 'coalition of the willing', a group of countries working on plans to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. A Gallup poll released last week found that 69 per cent of Ukrainians favour a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible. But polls also show Ukrainians do not want peace at any cost if that means crushing concessions. Ahead of the calls, Zelenskiy said it would be impossible for Kyiv to agree to a deal that would require it to withdraw its troops from the eastern Donbas region, a large swathe of which is already occupied by Russia. Territorial issues, he added, could only be discussed once a ceasefire has been put in place and Ukraine has received security guarantees. Moscow's troops have recently ramped up pressure on the battlefield , tightening their stranglehold on the cities of Pokrovsk and Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russian authorities said on Wednesday that small fire ignited by debris from a destroyed drone at the Slavyansk oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region overnight was extinguished. Russia's air defence units destroyed 46 Ukrainian drones overnight, the defence ministry said, including five over Krasnodar. The attack also targeted Russia's southern region of Volgograd, the regional governor said, with residents forced to evacuate an apartment block. – Reuters
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
More than 100 former MEPs urge EU to suspend association agreement with Israel
The ongoing starvation of the civilian population in Gaza amounts to 'nothing short of a war crime', a group of more than 100 former members of the European Parliament have said. Tentative moves by the European Commission to sanction Israel for its conduct during its invasion of Gaza are 'too little, too late', the former MEPs stated. In an open letter criticising the EU's response to the war in Gaza, the large group of former politicians said concrete action needed to be taken by the EU executive arm led by Ursula von der Leyen . The letter was signed by Josep Borrell, a former Spanish MEP who was the EU's top foreign affairs envoy until late last year. His efforts to sanction Israel in that role were blocked. READ MORE In total 110 former MEPs from Spain, Ireland, France, the UK and several other countries added their names to the joint letter. [ Al Jazeera rejects claims journalist killed in Israeli airstrike in Gaza led Hamas cell Opens in new window ] The group called for the EU to suspend an association agreement that governs the bloc's relations with Israel, which includes a free-trade deal. The commission recently proposed suspending part of the agreement that allows to Israel access Horizon research funding. The decision needs the support of a weighted majority of the EU's 27 states, with two of Israel's backers, Germany and Italy, holding up the suspension. [ Germany divided over plan to limit weapons for Israel Opens in new window ] The open letter was organised by a former UK MEP, Glyn Ford of the Labour Party. Several former Irish MEPs added their names to the letter, including Emer Costello, Brian Crowley, Proinsias De Rossa and Pat the Cope Gallagher. Former Independent MEP and current Minister of State Marian Harkin is also among the signatories. A failure by EU states to agree to take action against Israel would expose their 'complicity' in its war crimes in Gaza, the letter stated. [ Why has Gazans' hunger attained the status of 'moral crisis' when Israel's genocidal slaughter did not? Opens in new window ] Israel's restriction of humanitarian aid getting into Gaza over recent weeks and months has heightened pressure on the country, as aid agencies continue to warn of spreading famine in the war-torn strip. Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu's plan to further expand military operations in Gaza has drawn more international condemnation. EU foreign ministers were to discuss the situation in Gaza during a video call on Monday, mostly focusing on upcoming talks on the Ukraine war between United States president Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin. More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel's aerial bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza, which has destroyed much of the Palestinian territory's buildings and infracture. The Israeli invasion followed attacks by Hamas militants in southern Israel on October 7th, 2023, during which 1,200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Irish Times
Constant threat of targeting and dire conditions take toll as deaths in Gaza of Palestinian journalists spiral
Since the war in Gaza began 22 months ago, no foreign journalists have been allowed by Israel to enter the Strip to report independently. A few international correspondents have been permitted to visit Gaza briefly while embedded with units of the Israeli army. This has left war coverage to Palestinian journalists, who are under constant threat of personal targeting and face the same dire conditions as other civilians. Sunday's killing of Al-Jazeera news anchor Anas Al-Sharif , who was accused by Israel of being a Hamas fighter, along with four members of his team, brought the number of fatalities among Palestinian journalists in this conflict to 186, of whom 178 were Palestinian reporters killed by Israel, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). On Monday, Amnesty International Australia accused Israel of 'war crimes under international humanitarian law' for the 'deliberate targeting and killing of journalists'. In 2024, Sharif had received the organisation's Human Rights Defender award 'to honour his extraordinary resilience, bravery, and commitment to press freedom while working in the most dangerous conditions'. READ MORE His father was killed, his house was bombed and he was under continual threat, Amnesty Australia said. He dedicated his award to all journalists working in Gaza. Along with 90 per cent of the 2.3 million civilians in Gaza, Palestinian journalists have to endure Israeli bombings, drone strikes, shootings and displacement. Many live in tents and endure the daily scramble to secure water and food supplies. Filing stories under such conditions poses a serious challenge. Many have fled destroyed or damaged homes and offices without computers, cameras and other essential equipment. Last month, the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse and the BBC expressed serious concern 'for our journalists in Gaza who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families'. [ 'Without immediate intervention, the last reporters in Gaza will die': News agency staff warn journalists face starvation Opens in new window ] Television reporters appear on screen looking thin and haggard. There are daily electricity cuts, while fuel for generators is in short supply. The lack of petrol can affect the ability of journalists to travel around the strip to cover developments. Israel is also now planning to seize control of Gaza City, where many journalists are based. They must consider how to manage their work during displacement, along with their families who have been traumatised by constant warfare and repeated uprooting.
