Iranian President Tells Carlson Israel Tried to Assassinate Him/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian told Tucker Carlson Israel tried to assassinate him during recent airstrikes. He said the attack targeted a meeting he attended in Tehran. Pezeshkian signaled openness to nuclear talks but demanded renewed U.S. trust.
Quick Look
- Pezeshkian claims Israel attempted to assassinate him
- Attack allegedly targeted meeting during 12-day Iran-Israel war
- Iran open to nuclear talks but wary of U.S. trust
Iranian President Pezeshkian Tells Tucker Carlson Israel Tried to Assassinate Him
Deep Look
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has claimed that Israel attempted to assassinate him during an airstrike targeting a high-level meeting in Tehran, according to a new interview released Monday with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson.
In the video, published on Carlson’s social media channels, Pezeshkian said the strike occurred amid last month’s 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran.
“They did try, yes. They acted accordingly, but they failed,” Pezeshkian told Carlson, adding that the airstrike targeted a building where he was meeting with officials to discuss the conflict.
“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 said.
Despite the close call, Pezeshkian said he was not afraid for his life during the hostilities. However, he warned that his assassination would have sparked even more violence in the region.
“My death would have brought more bloodshed to the Middle East,” he said.
Israeli officials did not immediately comment on Pezeshkian’s claims. Earlier reports during the conflict indicated Israel had considered targeting high-ranking Iranian figures, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Talks with the U.S.
In the interview, Pezeshkian avoided harsh criticism of the United States, despite American support for Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites during the conflict.
He expressed Iran’s willingness to resume negotiations over its nuclear program but said trust must be rebuilt, especially after last month’s events.
“How are we going to trust the United States again? We reentered the negotiations, then how can we know for sure that in the middle of the talks the Israeli regime will not be given the permission, again, to attack us?” he said.
The Iranian president reiterated that Iran does not seek nuclear weapons and rejected reports that Tehran plotted to assassinate President Donald Trump during his 2024 re-election campaign.
When pressed by Carlson on whether Iran might turn to China or Russia for support if another conflict erupts, Pezeshkian declined to answer directly, only saying Iran does not want renewed hostilities with Israel.
Meanwhile, U.N. nuclear inspectors have yet to regain access to Iran’s nuclear facilities to assess the damage from recent strikes. Despite the attacks, Tehran has pledged to continue its uranium enrichment program.
The interview comes as Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet in Washington to discuss Iran and the ongoing situation in Gaza.
You must Register or Login to post a comment.