Iran's president claims Israel tried to assassinate him: 'They tried, but they failed.'
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Israel of attempting to assassinate him , without specifying when, in an interview with American talk show host Tucker Carlson that was broadcast on Monday.
Iranian missiles seen from Jerusalem. Photo: Menahem Kahana. AFP.
" They tried, yes. They acted accordingly, but they failed ," Pezeshkian replied to the question of whether he believes Israel tried to assassinate him.
"I was in a meeting (...) they tried to bomb the area where the meeting took place," he added, without specifying whether this occurred during last month's brief war, according to a translation of his answers in Farsi.
The conflict erupted when Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on June 13, killing senior military officials and several scientists linked to Iran's nuclear program.
The conflict disrupted a series of talks between the United States and Iran over its nuclear program that began in April.
Israel maintains that it launched its bombings to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, despite Tehran's claim that its program is for civilian purposes.
Isfahan nuclear plant, Iran, after the US bombing. Photo: AFP
More than 900 people died in Iran during the conflict, Iranian judicial authorities say.
Iran responded with a barrage of missiles and bombs against several Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and Haifa, which left 28 dead, according to Israeli authorities.
During the 12-day conflict, the United States launched a bombing raid on Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordo, Isfahan, and Natanz.
Pezeshkian stated during the interview that he sees "no problem" with resuming talks with the United States.
"There is one condition (...) for resuming talks. How are we going to regain trust in the United States?" he asked.
Israel maintains that it launched its bombings to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Photo: International
During an interview with the BBC, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said the Trump administration has informed Iran, through mediators, that it wants to return to negotiations, but that it "has not made its position clear" on the possibility of further attacks while the talks are ongoing.
Then, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi declared in the same vein: “ For us to decide to resume negotiations, we will first have to make sure that the United States will not attack us militarily again during the negotiations ,” he said.
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