Attempted assassination of Masoud Pezeshkian

On 16 June 2025, Israeli forces attempted to assassinate Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian during the Iran–Israel war.[1][2][3][4] According to the Fars news agency, Pezeshkian was lightly injured while escaping the assassination attempt.[5][6][7][8]

Background

A war between Iran and Israel began when Israel launched decapitation surprise attacks on key military and nuclear facilities in Iran on 13 June 2025, in the midst of the Gaza war and its broader regional spillover.[9][10] In the opening hours of the war, Israeli air and ground forces assassinated some of Iran's prominent military leaders, nuclear scientists,[11] and politicians.[5][12][13]

Event

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian and other Iranian officials said that during the beginning of the Iran–Israel war, an attempt on president Pezeshkian's life occurred while he was in a Supreme National Security Council meeting with other top Iranian officials, and suggested Israeli forces were tipped off by spies.[14][15][16][17][18] According to reports, Pezeshkian was lightly injured while escaping the assassination attempt, suffering a minor leg injury.[5][19]

The assassination attempt included a strike on a building where Pezeshkian was having a meeting with other top Iranian officials. The strike used six missiles or bombs to target the building's entrances and exits to block escape routes and disrupt air circulation, reminiscent of the operation that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.[20] Despite a power cut to the targeted floor, Iranian officials, including Pezeshkian, managed to escape through a pre-planned emergency exit. Pezeshkian and some others suffered minor leg injuries during the escape.[5][20][21]

Aftermath

The precision of the attack prompted Iranian authorities to investigate the possibility of an intelligence breach.[20][22] Following the failed assassination attempt, Iran vowed that Israel would pay the price for the assassination attempt on president Pezeshkian.[23][14]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian says Israel tried to assassinate him". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  2. ^ "Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claims Israel tried to kill him". The Jerusalem Post. 7 July 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  3. ^ "Iran's president claims Israel tried to assassinate him during 12-day war". India Today. 8 July 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  4. ^ "Iran President Pezeshkian was reportedly injured in Israeli strikes". BBC News. 13 July 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d "Iranian president lightly wounded while escaping Israeli attack". Al Jazeera.
  6. ^ https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-president-says-open-dialogue-with-us-accuses-israel-assassination-attempt-2025-07-07/
  7. ^ "Israel tried to assassinate Iran's Pezeshkian during war, Iranian report says". www.timesofisrael.com.
  8. ^ "Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian wounded by Israeli attack during war | The Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 13 July 2025.
  9. ^ Gordon, Michael (13 June 2025). "In Twist, U.S. Diplomacy Served as Cover for Israeli Surprise Attack". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 14 June 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  10. ^ Lam, Lana; Ferreira, Sofia (13 June 2025). "What we know as Israel-Iran conflict intensifies". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
  11. ^ de Haldevang, Max; Bozorgmehr, Najmeh (18 June 2025). "The Iranian generals and scientists killed by Israel's offensive". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 22 June 2025. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  12. ^ Regalado, Francesca; Ward, Euan; Fassihi, Farnaz; Granados, Samuel; Chutel, Lynsey (13 June 2025). "These Are Iranian Generals and Scientists Killed by Israel". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 13 June 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
  13. ^ Ebrahim, Nadeen; Adkin, Ross; Michaelis, Tamar (13 June 2025). "Israeli strikes kill some of Iran's most powerful men, including military and nuclear leaders". CNN. Archived from the original on 13 June 2025. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
  14. ^ a b "Iran probing insider role in Israeli attempt on president's life – Al Jazeera". www.iranintl.com. 13 July 2025.
  15. ^ Bozorgmehr, Najmeh (7 July 2025). "Iran's president says Israel tried to kill him during 12-day war". Financial Times. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  16. ^ "Iran's president accuses Israel of attempting to assassinate him". Al Arabiya English. 7 July 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  17. ^ Wintour, Patrick (7 July 2025). "Iranian president says Israel tried to assassinate him". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  18. ^ "'They did try, yes': Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian says Israel attempted to assassinate him. Was US involved?". The Times of India. 7 July 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  19. ^ Swan, Melanie (13 July 2025). "Wounded Iranian president forced to escape through emergency hatch during Israeli air strike" – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  20. ^ a b c "Iran's President Was Injured In Israel's Nasrallah-Style Assassination Plot: Report". NDTV.
  21. ^ "Wounded Iranian president forced to escape through emergency hatch during Israeli air strike". Yahoo News. 13 July 2025.
  22. ^ https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/middle-east/iran-eastern-states/artc-iran-s-president-masoud-pezeshkian-lightly-wounded-in-12-day-war#:~:text=Recommended%20%2D,evacuation%2C%20according%20to%20the%20agency.
  23. ^ Ari, Lior Ben (13 July 2025). "Iran vows Israel will 'pay the price' for 'assassination' attempt on president" – via www.ynetnews.com.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.