Iranian President Pezeshkian Survives Assassination Attempt in Israeli Airstrike, Suffers Minor Injuries
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian narrowly escaped an Israeli airstrike that targeted a high-level government meeting in Tehran on June 15, 2025, sustaining minor leg injuries during the evacuation, according to a senior Iranian official.
The attempted assassination occurred during a meeting of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which was attended by the heads of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, along with other top officials. The attack, described as an effort to “decapitate” Iran’s leadership, was part of Israel’s broader 12-day bombing campaign against Iran that began on June 13.
According to reports by Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency, the airstrike struck the lower level of a government facility in western Tehran, hitting six entrance and exit points with precision-guided missiles. The aim was to block escape routes and suffocate the building’s air flow. Electricity was cut off, plunging the bunker into darkness.
President Pezeshkian and other officials escaped through a designated emergency hatch, with the president sustaining minor leg injuries during the chaotic evacuation.
“This attempt will not pass without Israel paying a price,” a senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera, speaking anonymously.
The accuracy of the strike has raised suspicions within Iran’s intelligence community, prompting an investigation into whether Israeli spies had infiltrated key state structures.
In a recent interview with American media figure Tucker Carlson, President Pezeshkian confirmed the attempt on his life:
“They did try, yes… but they failed,” he said. “It was not the United States that was behind the attempt on my life. It was Israel. I was in a meeting… They tried to bombard the area in which we were holding that meeting.”
The attack came just two days before scheduled nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, which were halted following the assault.
According to Iran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, at least 1,060 Iranians were killed during the 12-day conflict, including top military commanders and nuclear scientists. Israel reportedly suffered 28 deaths in retaliatory strikes launched by Iran using ballistic missiles and drones that targeted Israeli military and intelligence sites.
A U.S.-brokered ceasefire brought the intense conflict to an end, but tensions remain high, with Iranian leaders vowing consequences for the assassination attempt.
