Iran President Says Israel Attempted To Assassinate Him
The remarks came less than a month after Israel launched its unprecedented June 13 bombing campaign against Iran, killing top military commanders and nuclear scientists.
The Israeli attacks took place two days before Tehran and Washington were set to meet for a new round of nuclear talks, stalling negotiations that were aimed at reaching a deal over Iran's atomic programme.
"They did try, yes. They acted accordingly, but they failed," Pezeshkian told US media figure Tucker Carlson in response to a question on whether he believed Israel had tried to kill him.
"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," he said according to a translation of his remarks from Persian, in apparent reference to an alleged assassination attempt during the recent war.
More than 900 people were killed in Iran during the conflict, according to the judiciary.
The Israeli attacks drew waves of retaliatory drone and missile fire, killing 28 people in Israel, according to authorities.
The 12-day war between Iran and Israel saw it, along with the United States, launching strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz.
A ceasefire between Iran and Israel took hold since June 24.
On June 16, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not rule out plans to assassinate Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying it would "end the conflict" after reports emerged at the time that US President Donald Trump had vetoed the move.
During the interview with Carlson, Pezeshkian accused Netanyahu of pursuing his "own agenda" of "forever wars" in the Middle East, and urged the United States not to be dragged into it.
"The US adminstration should refrain from getting involved in a war that is not America's war, it is Netanyahu's war," he said.
He added that his country has "no problem" restarting nuclear talks, provided that trust can be reestablished between the two countries.
"We see no problem in re-entering the negotiations," the Iranian president said.
"There is a condition ... for restarting the talks. How are we going to trust the United States again?"
"We re-entered 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."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
13 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Iran President Says Israel Attempted To Assassinate Him
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in an interview released on Monday that Israel, which last month fought a 12-day war with Iran, had attempted to assassinate him. The remarks came less than a month after Israel launched its unprecedented June 13 bombing campaign against Iran, killing top military commanders and nuclear scientists. The Israeli attacks took place two days before Tehran and Washington were set to meet for a new round of nuclear talks, stalling negotiations that were aimed at reaching a deal over Iran's atomic programme. "They did try, yes. They acted accordingly, but they failed," Pezeshkian told US media figure Tucker Carlson in response to a question on whether he believed Israel had tried to kill him. "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," he said according to a translation of his remarks from Persian, in apparent reference to an alleged assassination attempt during the recent war. More than 900 people were killed in Iran during the conflict, according to the judiciary. The Israeli attacks drew waves of retaliatory drone and missile fire, killing 28 people in Israel, according to authorities. The 12-day war between Iran and Israel saw it, along with the United States, launching strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz. A ceasefire between Iran and Israel took hold since June 24. On June 16, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not rule out plans to assassinate Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying it would "end the conflict" after reports emerged at the time that US President Donald Trump had vetoed the move. During the interview with Carlson, Pezeshkian accused Netanyahu of pursuing his "own agenda" of "forever wars" in the Middle East, and urged the United States not to be dragged into it. "The US adminstration should refrain from getting involved in a war that is not America's war, it is Netanyahu's war," he said. He added that his country has "no problem" restarting nuclear talks, provided that trust can be reestablished between the two countries. "We see no problem in re-entering the negotiations," the Iranian president said. "There is a condition ... for restarting the talks. How are we going to trust the United States again?" "We re-entered 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."
Int'l Business Times
14 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
BRICS' Criticism Brings Trump 10% Tariff Threat
US President Donald Trump threatened China, India, and some of the world's fastest-emerging economies with higher import tariffs, hitting back at BRICS' criticism of his trade policies as the bloc meets Monday. The 11-nation grouping -- which also includes US allies Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia -- is concluding a two-day summit in Rio de Janeiro. On Sunday, BRICS leaders described Trump's stop-start tariff wars as "indiscriminate", damaging, and illegal, drawing a quick rebuke from the pugilistic US president. "Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy," Trump wrote on social media. BRICS members account for about half the world's population and 40 percent of global economic output. Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to US influence. But it is an expanding and often divergent grouping -- bringing together arch US foes like Iran and Russia, with some of Washington's closest allies in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Some US allies inside the bloc had tried to blunt criticism by not mentioning Trump by name in their summit statement. Saudi Arabia -- one of the world's biggest purchasers of US high-tech weapons -- even kept its foreign minister away from Sunday's talks and a BRICS "family photo" of leaders, seemingly to avoid Washington's ire. But such diplomatic gestures were lost on the US president. In April, Trump threatened a slew of punitive duties, before backing off in the face of a fierce market sell-off. Now he is threatening to impose unilateral levies on trading partners unless they reach "deals" by August 1, with BRICS nations seemingly getting higher tariffs than planned. It cannot have helped that BRICS leaders also condemned the recent US and Israeli bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities -- a show of solidarity with fellow member Iran. Beijing on Monday insisted BRICS was not seeking confrontation with the United States. "China has repeatedly stated its position that trade and tariff wars have no winners and protectionism offers no way forward," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. Beijing also defended the bloc as "an important platform for cooperation between emerging markets and developing countries". "It advocates openness, inclusivity, and win-win cooperation," Mao said. "It does not engage in camp confrontation and is not targeted at any country," she said. The political punch of this year's summit has been depleted by the absence of China's Xi Jinping, who skipped the meeting for the first time in his 12 years as president. The Chinese leader is not the only notable absentee. Russian President Vladimir Putin, charged with war crimes in Ukraine, also opted to stay away, participating via video link. He told counterparts that BRICS had become a key player in global governance.
DW
15 hours ago
- DW
New round of Israel-Hamas truce talks ends without progress – DW – 07/07/2025
Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas about a ceasefire ended inconclusively, according to Palestinian sources. The BRICS group expressed concern about the war in the Middle East. DW has the Special Envoy Thomas Barrack on Monday said he was "unbelievably satisfied" with Lebanon's response to a US plan for disarming the Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah. The militant Islamist group recently vowed that it would not give up its weapons, yet Beirut gave a detailed seven-page report to the US in response to Washington's June 19 proposal for disarming the group. After meeting with Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun, Barrack told reporters: "What the government gave us was something spectacular in a very short period of time. I'm unbelievably satisfied with the response." In a warning to the impoverished Middle Eastern country, Barrack had previously said Lebanon risks being "left behind" by developments in the region. US Envoy Barrack also called for Hezbollah to become a purely political player in the region, saying the group "needs to see that there is a future" for it in the Middle East. Hezbollah joined attacks on Israel shortly after Hamas launched its October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli civilians, with Israel regularly returning fire into Lebanon. Israel on Monday launched attacks at Houthi targets in Yemen hours after a Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged cargo ship — the Magic Seas — was attacked near the Yemeni port of Hodeidah late Sunday. Israeli air forces on Monday struck targets in ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Salif, as well as a power plant at Ras Qantib. "These ports are used by the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are employed to carry out terrorist operations against the state of Israel and its allies," read an Israeli military statement. Israel also struck the Galaxy Leader, a vessel seized by the Houthis last November. The group had been using it to track international maritime traffic and plan further attacks. Yemen's Houthi rebels, who are thought to be behind the attack on the Magic Seas, fired two missiles at Israel in response to the strikes. Israeli military efforts to intercept the missiles appear to have failed, though no injuries have been reported. The attack on the Magic Seas was reportedly carried out with bomb-laden drone boats, signaling a potential escalation of Iranian involvement. The Islamic Republic is a backer of the rebel Houthis, who began attacking Israel in response to its military campaign against Hamas in retribution for Hamas' October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. Both the US and Israel have attacked Houthi strongholds in an effort to ensure freedom of movement for nearly $1 trillion (€930 billion) worth of goods through the Suez Canal annually. Houthis have now attacked more than 100 merchant vessels in the area and have killed four sailors. As Gaza ceasefire talks loom and the world waits to see how Iran will react to the recent US bombing of its nuclear program, Israel issued a warning to both the Houthis and leaders in Tehran. "What's true for Iran is true for Yemen," said Defense Minister Israel Katz: "Anyone who raises a hand against Israel will have it cut off. The Houthis will continue to pay a heavy price for their actions." The Israeli army on Sunday said it will begin sending conscription notices to 54,000 ultra-Orthodox Jewish men through July, who were exempt from military service until now. "The army will begin this week issuing summons to complete the enlistment process for ultra-Orthodox men whose status as yeshiva (religious seminary) students is no longer valid following the expiration of the previous legal arrangement," said a military statement. "The military will continue efforts to expand enlistment among the ultra-Orthodox public, while working to ensure the best possible conditions that respect their unique way of life," it added. This move is highly controversial and could spell trouble for Netanyahu's coalition government, which includes representatives from the ultra-Orthodox community as well. An arrangement dating back to 1948 exempts the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi (God-fearing) Jews who are dedicated to religious studies, from military service. Around 66,000 men currently fall under the exemption. Israel's Supreme Court has often challenged this status since the 2000s. Since June 2024, the ruling government has been under pressure from the judicial system to start drafting Haredi men. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left on Monday to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC. "This is my third visit with (US President Donald Trump) since he was elected over six months ago," Netanyahu told reporters at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv before his departure. Netanyahu also plans to meet US government officials as well as other Republican and Democratic leaders. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video On Sunday, Trump had said that a ceasefire and hostage release deal could possibly be reached this week. "We are working to achieve the much discussed deal, on the conditions that we have agreed to," Netanyahu said, referring to a US proposal. Hamas has requested some amendments but agreed to the proposal in principle. Experts and analysts believe that Israel and Hamas will be able to overcome their differences to reach a deal. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Leaders of the BRICS group of nations expressed "grave concern" about the situation in Gaza after their meeting on Monday. "We reiterate our grave concern about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, with the resumption of continuous Israeli attacks against Gaza and obstruction of the entry of humanitarian aid into the territory," they said. The group called for adherence to international law while also encouraging an immediate ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the release of all detainees and hostages. They also condemned the Israeli and US military strikes on Iran. The first round of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas in Doha, Qatar, ended inconclusively, Palestinian sources close to the matter said on Monday. "After the first session of indirect negotiations in Doha, the Israeli delegation is not sufficiently authorized ... to reach an agreement with Hamas, as it has no real powers," the sources told Reuters news agency. The BBC reported that the talks took place in two different buildings, and lasted for about three and a half hours. The two sides communicated through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, but to no avail. Talks are expected to resume again on Monday. Hello and welcome to DW's coverage of developments in the Middle East on Monday, July 7, 2025. Talks between Israel and Hamas in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday about a possible ceasefire ended inconclusively, Palestinian sources close to the matter said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is flying to Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump, who suggested on Friday that there "could be a Gaza deal" next week.
