Iranian state broadcaster hit as Tehran urges Trump to rein in Israel
An Israeli airstrike targeted Iran’s state broadcaster on Monday, as Tehran called on Washington to intervene and bring an end to the ongoing aerial conflict.
According to Reuters, the Israeli military confirmed late Monday that it had struck the headquarters of Iran's national broadcaster, which it claimed also served as a communications hub for Iran’s armed forces. Footage aired showed a news presenter fleeing her desk as the blast hit.
The confrontation entered its fifth day on Tuesday, with air raid sirens sounding in Tel Aviv shortly after midnight following a fresh barrage of Iranian missile launches.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told his European counterparts that while Iran remained open to diplomacy, its immediate priority was to defend itself from continued aggression, Iranian state media reported. Israel, meanwhile, insists its objective is to dismantle Tehran’s capacity to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran has reported more than 224 fatalities, the majority of them civilians. Israel says 24 of its citizens have been killed, all of whom were civilians.
Sources told Reuters that Iran had appealed to Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to urge US President Donald Trump to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into agreeing to an immediate ceasefire. In return, Tehran would reportedly show greater flexibility in stalled nuclear negotiations.
"If President Trump is genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential," Araqchi said on X.
"Israel must halt its aggression, and absent a total cessation of military aggression against us, our responses will continue. It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu."
When asked whether he would consider negotiations if Trump proposed them, Netanyahu told reporters that Israel remained committed to eliminating both the nuclear and missile threats posed by Iran.
"If this can be achieved in another way - fine. But we gave it a 60-day chance," Netanyahu said.
Trump, speaking to Reuters last Friday on the first day of Israel’s offensive, said he had given Tehran a 60-day window to halt uranium enrichment. That deadline, he added, had now expired without any agreement.
