Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian Suffered Injury and Narrowly Escaped Death in Israeli Airstrike During 12-Day-War

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was allegedly injured and narrowly escaped death in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a high-level meeting in Tehran during the 12-day war, according to reports from state media.

Masoud Pezeshkian—who last week claimed that Israel tried to assassinate him during the conflict—was among several government and military officials attending an emergency session of the Supreme National Security Council at an underground facility in Tehran on June 16, according to the Fars news agency. During the meeting, six bombs reportedly hit the facility, and Pezeshkian is said to have sustained a leg injury while he and the other officials evacuated through an emergency escape route.

Narrowly Escaped Death

The airstrikes were highly precise, with the bombs disabling all six primary entrances and exits, as well as the facility’s ventilation system, state media reported. Despite the power outage caused by the attack, Pezeshkian and the other senior officials were able to get out alive.

The report offers more details on Pezeshkian’s statement last week in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, in which the Iranian president alleged he was the target of an airstrike during a high-stakes meeting.

“They did try, yes. They acted accordingly, but they failed,” Pezeshkian said when asked if he had been an assassination target.

“I was in a meeting. We were discussing the ways to move forward, 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 recounted.

Israel Denies Iran’s Claims

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz denied the claims outright, saying that the objective of the 12-day conflict was not to pursue “regime change” but to strike Iran’s nuclear sites.

The alleged assassination attempt on Pezeshkian has reportedly led to an internal probe into how Israeli intelligence obtained details about his whereabouts and the venue of the Supreme National Security Council meeting.

The council functions as the highest governing body in Tehran after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was also reportedly targeted during the 12-day conflict but evaded detection by the Israeli forces after going into deep hiding.

Following the 12-day war, Iranian officials—along with human rights organizations—have reported the arrest of over 700 people and the deaths of at least six as part of a sweeping nationwide crackdown on alleged espionage.