An Iranian state television presenter has sparked backlash after firing a rifle at a United Arab Emirates (UAE) flag during a live broadcast promoting firearms training.
The segment aired on Iran's state-run Ofogh channel and featured a masked member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) demonstrating how to use an assault rifle similar to an AK-47.
Towards the end of the broadcast, presenter Hossein Hosseini aimed and fired the rifle at a UAE flag positioned inside the set, before firing another shot into the studio ceiling.
The UAE had not publicly commented on the incident.
It was not the first time Iranian presenters had appeared on television carrying firearms in recent days, in an effort to prepare the public for war.
In a separate broadcast aired recently on Iranian state television, presenter Mobina Nasiri appeared holding an assault rifle which had been sent to her from a gathering in Tehran's Vanak Square.
"From this platform, I declare that I am ready to sacrifice my life for this country," she said.
The latest incident comes amid ongoing tensions between Iran and the United States, Israel and other Gulf nations.
A drone strike targeted the UAE's sole nuclear power plant on Sunday, sparking a fire on its perimeter.
No one claimed responsibility, and the UAE did not blame anyone for what it said was an "unprovoked terrorist attack". "
It had recently accused Iran of launching drone and missile attacks as tensions have risen over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy waterway gripped by Iran, which is under a US naval blockade.
- Additional reporting by Associated Press
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