Sahar Emami

Some Lesser Known Facts About Sahar Emami

• Sahar Emami started working as a journalist for a local news channel in Tehran in 2008.

• In 2010, she began covering political news for the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN).

• Sahar represents news in Arabic and always wears a hijab while appearing on air.

• Over the years, Sahar hosted various shows, including ‘Back Home’ and ‘Morning with the News.’  She, however, gained widespread recognition through her work on the program ‘Newsstand.’

• On 17 June 2025, Sahar was reporting live on IRINN, run by the broadcaster IRIB, when an Israeli airstrike hit the IRIB headquarters building in Tehran. She later described the blast as “the sound of the aggressor attacking the truth” as dust filled the studio.

  

• Soon after, another blast hit the IRIB building. The screen behind Sahar Emami broke and went off, and she had to escape as the studio filled with smoke and debris. Just before the channel switched to a pre-recorded show, a voice was heard shouting ‘Allahu Akbar.’
  

• Despite the attack, Sahar returned to the studio to complete the broadcast and said,
  

  The voice of reality will not be silenced.”

• The airstrikes on the IRIB building killed two staff members, Masoumeh Azimi and Nima Rajabpour, and injured several journalists. According to reports, at least four missiles were launched at the building.

• Following the attack, posters featuring Emami’s image, often alongside Iranian leaders like Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah, were circulated widely.

  

• Her finger-pointing gesture before the explosion became an iconic symbol and was featured in many of these posters.

• Netizens praised her courage and resilience. Many referred to her as “the lioness of Iranian media,” “the face of Iranian women’s courage,” and “the iron lady of Iran.”

  

• Zahra Bahramzadeh Azar, Iran’s Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, later praised her bravery and described her as “the voice of all Iranian citizens in the face of aggression.”