Iran president claims Israel tried to kill him
What's the story
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused Israel of trying to assassinate him by bombing a location where he was holding a meeting. In a 28-minute interview with American conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, Pezeshkian confirmed the assassination attempt but did not specify if it occurred during the recent war between Israel and Iran. "They did try, yes. They acted accordingly, but they failed," he said in Farsi through an interpreter.
Remarks
'Thanks to the intelligence by spies'
When asked if he was certain of such an attempt, he replied, "Of course, it was not the United States that was behind the attempt on my life... It was Israel." "I was in a meeting... but thanks to the intelligence by the spies that they had, they tried to bombard the area in which we were holding that meeting," he said.
Assassination claim
Attempt on Pezeshkian's life
Pezeshkian's remarks came after US President Donald Trump revealed he had prevented an assassination attempt on Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei had been in hiding for nearly three weeks during the conflict but appeared at a religious ceremony in Tehran recently. The alleged assassination attempt on Pezeshkian would mark a major escalation by Israel, indicating its intent to dismantle Iran's political leadership, not just its military and nuclear capabilities.
Strike claims
Israel claims to have killed Iran officials
Israel has claimed to have killed over 30 senior security officials and 11 nuclear scientists in the 12-day war with Iran. It also claims to have destroyed Iran's three main nuclear sites along with the United States. Unlike Khamenei, Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have been openly seen in public, attending funerals and traveling abroad. Pezeshkian attended a summit in Azerbaijan while Araghchi visited Brazil, Egypt, and Moscow.
Negotiation stance
Willing to resume nuclear negotiations with US
During the interview with Carlson, Pezeshkian also reiterated that Iran didn't start the war and does not want it to continue. He expressed willingness to resume nuclear negotiations if trust can be rebuilt. "There is a condition...for restarting the talks," he said, expressing concern over possible Israeli attacks during negotiations. On allowing International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections in Iran, Pezeshkian said access is currently impossible due to damage at nuclear sites but could be considered once access is restored.