Assassination Attempt
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has publicly accused Israel of attempting to assassinate him during last month’s intense 12-day conflict between the two countries, a claim that could further escalate already heightened tensions in the Middle East.
The Iranian leader made the allegation during an interview with American commentator Tucker Carlson, where he detailed what he described as a failed Israeli strike targeting a meeting he was attending.
“They did try, yes. They acted accordingly, but they failed,” Pezeshkian said when asked if he believed Israel had attempted to kill him. He clarified that the United States was not involved in the attempt, placing full responsibility on Israel.
According to a translated excerpt of his remarks from Persian, Pezeshkian stated, “I was in a meeting… they tried to bombard the area in which we were holding that meeting,” implying that the alleged assassination attempt took place amid the broader Israeli bombing campaign earlier in June.
On June 13, Israel launched an unprecedented series of airstrikes against Iran, targeting high-profile military figures and nuclear scientists. These attacks occurred just two days before a scheduled round of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington, effectively derailing progress toward reviving the nuclear deal. Iranian officials have since accused Israel of intentionally sabotaging the diplomatic process.
The short but deadly conflict claimed over 900 lives in Iran, according to the country’s judiciary, while Israel reported 28 deaths due to retaliatory drone and missile strikes.
The war also saw Israeli and U.S. forces targeting Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz. A ceasefire has been in place since June 24, but underlying tensions remain unresolved.
President Pezeshkian further criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of promoting “forever wars” in the Middle East for personal political gain. He warned the United States against being drawn into what he described as “Netanyahu’s war,” urging the Biden administration to distance itself from Israel’s aggressive military strategy.
“The US administration should refrain from getting involved in a war that is not America’s war,” Pezeshkian said, making it clear that Iran views the recent conflict as being driven more by Israeli ambitions than regional necessity.
Despite the recent hostilities, Pezeshkian expressed a willingness to return to nuclear negotiations, provided that certain guarantees are put in place. He emphasized the need to rebuild trust with the United States, which he said has been repeatedly undermined by Israeli military actions during critical diplomatic moments.
“We see no problem in re-entering the negotiations,” he noted. “There is a condition… How are we going to trust the United States again? We re-entered the negotiations, then how can we know for sure that in the middle of the talks the Israeli regime will not be given the permission again to attack us?”
Pezeshkian’s comments signal Iran’s cautious openness to diplomacy, but also highlight the deep mistrust that remains between Tehran, Tel Aviv, and Washington. The Iranian leader’s accusation of an assassination attempt adds a dramatic and dangerous new dimension to an already volatile geopolitical landscape.
