Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, dropped a bombshell in a recent interview: he says Israel tried—and failed—to assassinate him during last month’s short but brutal war between the two countries.
That war? Yeah, the one back in June, when Israel pulled off an unprecedented bombing campaign on Iranian soil—June 13th, to be exact—taking out some of Iran’s top military brass and nuclear scientists.
The timing wasn’t exactly subtle. Just two days before Tehran and Washington were supposed to sit down for fresh nuclear talks, those negotiations got blown up—literally and figuratively.
Masoud Pezeshkian Says Israel Tried to Assassinate Him
Speaking with Tucker Carlson, Pezeshkian didn’t mince words. When asked if he thought Israel really tried to kill him, he replied, “They did try, yes. They acted accordingly, but they failed.” He explained that he was in a meeting when the area came under bombardment, making it pretty clear who he blames: “It was not the United States that was behind the attempt on my life. It was Israel.”
The violence wasn’t one-sided. Iran’s judiciary says over 900 Iranians died in the chaos. Israel, for its part, got hit with a barrage of drones and missiles in return—28 people killed, according to Israeli authorities.
For nearly two weeks, things went off the rails. Israel—backed by the US—hit Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz. Finally, a ceasefire kicked in on June 24.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Statement
Even after the shooting stopped, the threats kept flying. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, when asked about the possibility of assassinating Iran’s supreme leader, didn’t exactly deny it. He said taking out Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would “end the conflict.” At the same time, news broke that Donald Trump had reportedly blocked the move.
Iranian officials claim they also stopped an Israeli attempt on their foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi. Everyone’s got a target on their back these days, it seems.
Back in that interview, Pezeshkian accused Netanyahu of pushing “forever wars” and warned the US not to get sucked in. “The US administration should refrain from getting involved in a war that is not America’s war, it is Netanyahu’s war,” he said.
Despite all the bloodshed, Pezeshkian insisted Iran’s open to resuming nuclear talks—if, and it’s a big if, trust can be rebuilt. “We see no problem in re-entering the negotiations,” he said, but added, “How are we going to trust the United States again? … 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?”
