Live Updates: Israel strikes Iranian State TV as the U.S.S. Nimitz heads for the Middle East

Videos captured the Iranian state broadcaster's headquarters engulfed in flames, with thick black smoke billowing from the building.

June 16, 2025, 12:11 p.m. ET — 47 minutes ago

SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES

Here’s the latest update.

On Monday, Israel intensified its assaults on Iran, targeting the headquarters of state television and advising residents to evacuate parts of Tehran. This marks the fourth day of the most intense and deadly confrontation in the history of the Israeli-Iranian conflict.

As civilian casualties rise on both sides, the war appears set to continue for over a week. Israel seems to be operating with growing confidence, aiming to dismantle Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities while expanding its strikes to include energy facilities and command centers.

“Everything’s uncertain,” said Meisam, a 41-year-old poet and writer, who was among those fleeing Tehran.

Early on Monday, Israel announced it had struck the headquarters of Iran's elite Quds Force in Tehran. The extent of any casualties or damage has not yet been independently verified. The Israeli military subsequently issued a warning on social media for residents in a northeastern Tehran district to evacuate immediately, stating it planned to target “military infrastructure” in the area “in the coming hours.”

This district houses the offices of Iran’s state broadcaster, which was engulfed in flames just hours later. Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, confirmed the attack, declaring, “We will strike the Iranian dictator everywhere,” and labeled the broadcaster as a source of “propaganda and incitement.”

Iran continues to respond by launching massive barrages of ballistic missiles at Israel, heightening fears among civilians on both sides as they brace for what lies ahead. Early on Monday, Iranian missiles struck several Israeli cities, resulting in at least eight fatalities, according to Israeli officials.

Since Israel began its attacks on Iran on Friday, at least 224 people in Iran have been killed, as reported by the country's health ministry, with over 1,400 others injured. In Israel, the government confirmed that at least 24 civilians have died due to retaliatory strikes from Iran, with around 600 injuries reported.

These attacks mark the longest and most intense phase of hostility in the decades-long conflict between Israel and Iran, raising concerns about a potential wider war that could involve the United States and other nations.

Israel seems determined to continue its military operations until Iran halts its nuclear fuel enrichment program, which could potentially be used to develop nuclear weapons. However, Iran has shown no signs of agreeing to such demands.

The Israeli military reported that it targeted over 100 sites in Iran overnight, primarily focusing on missile launchers. Israeli civil authorities indicated that Iranian missiles struck at least three residential areas early on Monday, resulting in five deaths in central Israel, most of whom were in the city of Petah Tikva, and three fatalities in northern Israel.

Here’s what else to know:

Life on hold: As the Israeli bombardment continues, some Iranians are steeling themselves for a longer conflict. Israel and Iran have traded fire before in recent years, but this time feels different, some residents of Tehran said. With strikes continuing, long lines of cars have packed a highway in northeastern Tehran as Iranians flee the city.

Expanding scope of attacks: Israeli strikes, initially focused on nuclear sites, air defenses and military targets, have also begun targeting the energy industry that underpins much of Iran’s economy. The Israeli military’s chief spokesman claimed on Monday that its forces had achieved “full aerial superiority” in the skies over Tehran. Some of Iran’s air defense systems remain intact, according to an Israeli defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.

Trying to get home: Israel’s closure of its airspace to civilian planes since the attacks began has left tens of thousands of travelers stranded overseas. On Monday, Israel said it would start organizing some airlifts — but it may be three days before those flights begin.

Echoes of strategy: In assassinating numerous top Iranian officers, the Israeli attacks on Iran have seemed to be following the script from last fall, when Israel decimated the Lebanese militia Hezbollah and degraded its military arsenal.

Damaged diplomacy: Talks between the United States and Iran on the future of Iran’s nuclear program had been scheduled to resume on Sunday in Oman, but were canceled. On Monday, President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran noted how nuclear negotiations were disrupted by the strikes. “We were not the ones who abandoned the negotiating table,” he said in an address to Parliament carried by state media. “We went and even began indirect negotiations — we were negotiating.”

• The aircraft carrier U.S.S. Nimitz is leaving Southeast Asia for the Middle East as part of a planned deployment, a Defense Department official said. The Nimitz sailed west through the Singapore Strait on Monday. It had been operating in the South China Sea last week, the official said.
• Many videos circulating online, including live video feeds, show the headquarters of the Iranian state broadcaster, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, burning with a thick column of black smoke rising from the building. The Israeli strike on the building appears to have only hit the main headquarters of the state broadcaster, which has a number of other buildings in the area in central Tehran.
• Iran’s state news agency, IRNA, confirmed the attack on the headquarters of the state broadcaster in Tehran, saying that the strike hit as programs were being broadcast live. It said that programming was “briefly halted” but “returned to normal” after a few minutes. A large plume of black smoke billowed in the sky and flames were visible at the site, photographs and videos showed.
• The Israeli military attacked the Iranian state broadcaster in the capital of Tehran on Monday afternoon, Israel Katz, the Israeli defense minister, confirmed in a statement. “We will strike the Iranian dictator everywhere,” he said, labeling the channel as a source of “propaganda and incitement.”
• The Israeli military later said in a statement that the Israeli air force had struck the building to target a “communication center” that was being used by the Iranian military “under the guise of civilian activity.” The claim could not be independently verified.

• During his remarks at the G7 summit meeting, President Trump offered a grim outlook for Iran in the escalating conflict with Israel. He called it “painful for both parties,” but added, “I’d say Iran is not winning this war.” President Trump, asked about Iran’s willingness to hold talks, said, “They’d like to talk, but they should have done that before.” Speaking at the G7 summit meeting in Canada, he added, “They should talk immediately before it’s too late.”

Iranian state media have released images and video showing damage to the Farabi Hospital in Kermanshah. According to Iran’s state news agency IRNA, the deputy governor of Kermanshah, Bahram Sulaimani, reported that an Israeli missile struck a critical unit of the hospital. Earlier, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani claimed that Israel's attack contradicted its assertions of not targeting civilians. In response, an Israeli military spokeswoman stated that the military was unaware of such an incident.

Videos and images shared on social media by Mehr News, a government-affiliated news agency, displayed signs of significant damage within the hospital. Footage reviewed by The New York Times showed light panels and wires hanging from the ceilings in various areas, alongside sections of the ceiling that had collapsed. The floor was littered with shards of glass and visible bloodstains.