Three rescue workers and an undisclosed number of media employees have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in Iran, local media and the Iranian Red Crescent reported on Monday, as residents of Tehran fled the capital en masse following the attacks.
Iran’s state radio and television station, IRIB, reported that some of its employees and rescue workers were killed and injured on Monday in an attack on the broadcaster, although it did not specify the exact number of casualties.
The Iranian Red Crescent reported, for its part, that three of its rescuers were killed on Monday by an Israeli strike while on duty.
Red Crescent workers killed while on duty
It said in a statement that the three employees had been providing aid to the injured in the Shahid Bagheri neighbourhood in the northwest of Tehran.
The Red Crescent, which is the equivalent of the Red Cross in Muslim countries, condemned the incident, stating in a communiqué that it was not only a violation of international humanitarian law but also a blatant offence against humanity and morality.
Earlier in the afternoon, Israel had called for the evacuation of the area surrounding the IRIB headquarters, home to approximately 300,000 residents. The attack on IRIB occurred shortly thereafter.
Israel claims the air strike targeted a “communications centre of the Iranian regime.” Israeli authorities also claimed that “Iranian forces were using the building under the guise of civilian activities.”
Residents flee Tehran en masse
Many residents of Tehran fled the capital following the Israeli strikes, causing a major traffic jam on the main road heading north, as seen in images shared on social media on Monday.
Images taken from a highway bridge, verified by AFP, showed a massive queue of stationary cars on the northern highway leading out of Tehran, with almost no vehicles moving in the opposite direction.
The Iranian airspace remained closed until further notice, leaving the road as the only means of exiting the capital, which was under heavy bombardment.
Israel has advised Tehran's residents to stay away from all military infrastructure, but security forces are heavily present throughout the city, including residential areas.
The traffic jam appeared to be concentrated on Highway 49, linking Tehran to Chalous on the Caspian Sea, according to videos posted by Iran International, a foreign-based Farsi-language TV station, and images from well-known Iranian bloggers. Chalous is located 150 km north of the capital in Mazandaran province. Under normal circumstances, the mountainous route to the town requires about three hours of travel.
Videos also surfaced on social media showing long queues at petrol stations.
Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Iran on 13 June, targeting hundreds of military and nuclear sites, with the declared aim of preventing the country from acquiring nuclear weapons. Since then it has been launching follow-up attacks on various Iranian targets.
