Iranian president injured in June Israeli airstrikes
The June 16 strike reportedly involved six bombs targeting access points to a secret underground facility in western Tehran, where Pezeshkian and other top officials were attending a meeting of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
Fars said on Saturday the blasts cut power to the facility, forcing the president to flee through an emergency shaft, during which he sustained leg injuries.
The outlet claimed the operation was modeled after the September 2024 strikes in Beirut that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
During the 12-day war that ended with a US-brokered ceasefire on June 24, Israeli forces killed several senior Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists.
In an interview with journalist Tucker Carlson released last week, Pezeshkian said Israel had tried to assassinate him. Israel has not commented on the claim.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the attack to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The US backed the strikes and joined Israeli raids on Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22. Tehran, which denies pursuing a military nuclear program, condemned the attacks as unprovoked.
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The confrontation between Israel and Iran – already escalating through direct military engagements and cyber operations – may evolve into a wider and more dangerous conflict. Moreover, the arc of tension is likely to draw in additional regional players, including Türkiye and various Arab states. Despite longstanding economic and military ties with the West, many of these countries are increasingly gravitating toward the non-Western camp, which champions reforms to global institutions, challenges hegemonic structures, and upholds sovereignty and equality in international relations. This trend lays the groundwork for a profound transformation – not only of the Middle East, but of the global system itself – where the battle over new rules of engagement becomes a driving force behind enduring instability and conflict.
