(Photos, screenshots from the Iranian TV video)
By Alireza Bahrami
TEHRAN: On Saturday, a group of foreign journalists visited the site of a bombed school in southern Iran. Later, it was announced that a drone attacked the site of the destroyed school as they were leaving.
Ahmad Nafisi, the deputy political governor of Hormozgan, confirmed that independent journalists from the United States, Canada and Australia went to Minab School to report on the school, along with reporters from Iranian television. The school was destroyed twice by missiles on the first day of the US-Israeli attack on Iran, killing about 170 students and teachers.
The local official described the action as a targeted approach to hitting civilian sites and creating an atmosphere of intimidation for journalists.
An Iranian television journalist also said: “After the visit, we had left the area when the drone hit where we were in the destroyed school.”
However, the origin of the attacking drone has not yet been determined, and the media office of the Iranian Ministry of Culture has not yet taken a position.
The missile attack also destroyed the office of Qatari Al Arabiya TV in Tehran on Sunday morning.
The news channel said the destruction of the building had halted live broadcasts.
(Screenshot from the network’s video)
Hazem Kalass, the director of Qatari Al Arabiya TV’s Tehran office, said: “The TV exploded and the roof collapsed on us. But fortunately, my colleagues are safe.”
He said: “Our building is completely commercial and the ground floor is a coffee shop.”
Kalass stressed: “International law will protect us and journalism is not a crime.”
The deputy media officer for the Iranian Ministry of Culture visited Al Arabiya’s office a few hours after the attack and condemned the attack.
