Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Friday, April 19, 2024
From the Liveblog of
Friday, April 19, 2024
Iranian state media downplays reported Israeli attack, shows calm scenes in Isfahan
A handout image grab made available by the Iranian state TV, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), shows what the TV said was a live picture of the city of Isfahan early on April 19, 2024, following reports of explosions heard in the province in central Iran. (IRIB/AFP)
State media in Iran shows morning scenes from Isfahan, downplaying a reported Israeli strike on a nearby airbase and claiming that the Islamic Republic’s air defenses shot down three drones overnight.
Analysts on Channel 12 describe the news reports as propaganda, making comparisons to official programming supporting the communist regime in the former Soviet Union.
Other analysis say that Iran hasn’t yet had time to assess the impact of the reported strike.
“It will take them time to work out what happened,” former IDF spokesperson Avi Benayahu adds during the broadcast.
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