Iranian 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.
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”.
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 Benjamin 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”.
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