Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Wednesday mocked his Iranian counterpart for suggesting that the Islamic Republic’s ballistic missile attacks had caused “utter destruction” in the Jewish state.
Sa’ar responded with a clown emoji in a post on X to a claim by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that Tehran’s army was “punishing” Israel.
“Netanyahu doesn’t want you to see how Iran’s powerful armed forces are punishing Israel for its aggression,” Araghchi wrote on X, sharing a report about new Israeli restrictions banning live broadcasts showing missile interceptions and impact sites.
“Here’s what our men & women on the ground report: utter destruction caused by our missiles, panicked leaders, and air defenses in disarray,” stated Tehran’s top diplomat, adding: “We’re just getting started.”
The Israel Defense Forces’ restrictions on broadcasting missile attacks were tightened “to prevent providing aid to the enemy during wartime, which constitutes a tangible threat to state security,” IDF Chief Censor Brig. Gen. Netanel Kula said in a March 5 letter to foreign reporters.
The new censorship guidelines prohibit broadcasts showing missile interceptions to prevent Iran from refining the accuracy of future strikes. However, cameras may still film “neutral areas,” such as streets, roads and bridges.
“Filming impacts at or near security sites is prohibited,” the guidelines state. “For civilian sites, the name of the city may be published; however, the street name and exact address must not be disclosed.”
Since the start of the war, 15 people have been killed in Israel as a result of Iranian ballistic missile attacks targeting civilian areas.
