Tehran: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has paid respect to the Iranian reporters who were killed in the 12-day war imposed by the Israeli regime on Iran in June. ‘We commemorate all journalists and media professionals who lost their lives during the recent military attacks by the Israeli regime, and pay respect to all reporters and cameramen who have been killed or wounded while covering the ongoing genocide in Gaza,’ Baqaei wrote on his X account on Monday night.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Baqaei, in his post, also referred to a ceremony that honored the family of Nima Rajabpour, a news editor of the Iranian national television (IRIB), who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on one of the buildings at the IRIB headquarters in Tehran. That ceremony was held on Monday morning at the end of the spokesperson’s weekly briefing, and was also attended by Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

The Israeli airstrike on June 16 targeted the IRIB building, marking the fourth day of its aggressive campaign against Iran. The assault involved at least four bombs, which struck the main facility housing IRIB’s news department while a live broadcast was in progress.

At the time of the bombardment, news anchor Sahar Emami was live on air. Despite the tremors caused by the initial strike, she remained on air and continued the broadcast. Moments later, another explosion filled the studio with smoke and dust, compelling her to evacuate.