  The coupled electronic-structural modulations of the ligand states in
IrTe$_2$ have been studied by x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and resonant
elastic x-ray scattering (REXS). Distinctive pre-edge structures are observed
at the Te-$M_{4,5}$ (3$d$ $\rightarrow$ 5$p$) absorption edge, indicating the
presence of a Te 5$p$-Ir 5$d$ covalent state near the Fermi level. An
enhancement of the REXS signal near the Te 3$d$ $\rightarrow$ 5$p$ resonance at
the $Q\!=\!(1/5,0,-1/5)$ superlattice reflection is observed below the
structural transition temperature $T_s\sim$ 280 K. The analysis of the
energy-dependent REXS lineshape reveals the key role played by the spatial
modulation of the covalent Te 5$p$-Ir 5$d$ bond-density in driving the
stripe-like order in IrTe$_2$, and uncovers its coupling with the charge and/or
orbital order at the Ir sites. The similarity between these findings and the
charge-ordering phenomenology observed in the high-T$_c$ superconducting
cuprates suggests that the iridates may harbor similar exotic phases.
