Israeli Assassination Plot Against Iranian President Alleged by Leader

The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, stated in an interview published on Monday that Israel, which recently engaged in a 12-day conflict with Iran, had tried to target him by attacking a location where he was holding a meeting.

“They did attempt it, but they did not succeed,” Pezeshkian told US interviewer Tucker Carlson when asked if Israel had sought to kill him. The conversation, conducted through an interpreter, marks one of the Iranian president’s first discussions with Western media since the war.

“The attempt on my life was not carried out by the United States. It was Israel. I was in a meeting… they tried to strike the area where we were gathered,” he said, based on a translation of his remarks from Farsi. He did not clarify whether the alleged incident occurred during the recent conflict.

Former US leader Donald Trump previously claimed he prevented Israel from targeting Iran’s 86-year-old supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who remained out of public view for nearly three weeks before appearing at a religious event in Tehran over the weekend. His return was met with enthusiasm by supporters. Khamenei had appeared in three earlier video messages, appearing visibly frail but resolute.

An effort to eliminate Pezeshkian, elected last year, would mark a significant shift in Israel’s approach, suggesting an intent not only to weaken Iran’s military and nuclear experts but also to dismantle its political leadership. Trump had occasionally voiced support for changing Iran’s government during the war, though his stance appeared to soften as the conflict continued. He now speaks of pursuing a lasting agreement with Iran, though specifics on potential US concessions remain unclear.

Israel has claimed it eliminated over 30 high-ranking security officials and 11 top nuclear scientists during the conflict, significantly hindering Iran’s nuclear goals. It also asserts that, alongside the US, it destroyed Iran’s three primary nuclear facilities.

Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have maintained public visibility, attending domestic memorials and traveling abroad. Pezeshkian visited a summit in Azerbaijan, while Araghchi has traveled to Brazil, Egypt, and Russia.

Pezeshkian also told Carlson, “We did not initiate this war, and we do not wish for it to continue in any form.”

He emphasized that his presidential campaign had focused on fostering national unity and improving relations with neighboring countries.

During the interview, Pezeshkian expressed willingness to resume nuclear negotiations if trust between Iran and the US could be restored.

“We have no issue with restarting talks,” he said. “But there is a condition: how can we trust the United States again? If we return to negotiations, how can we be assured they will uphold their commitments?”