Iran's president admits nuke facilities WERE 'severely damaged' in US military strikes and claims in interview with Tucker Carlson that Israel tried to assassinate him in 12-day war
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.
Spaking to US media figure Tucker Carlson in an interiew which aired on Monday, Pezeshkian said that American strikes on Iran were 'illegal', and that the country had never intended to develop a nuclear bomb.
He added that 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.
However, he said that US strikes damaged pieces of equipment and facilities, and 'therefore we don't have any access to them'.
The Iranian president also claimed that Israel tried to kill him by bombing an area where he was holding a meeting, but said they 'failed'.
'They did try, yes. They acted accordingly, but they failed,' Pezeshkian told Carlson.
'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 on 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 war, Iranian authorities also said an Israeli plot to kill Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was foiled.
In 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 administration should refrain from getting involved in a war that is not America's war, it is Netanyahu's war,' he said.
An exterior view shows damage at a residential building in the Saadat Abad neighborhood of Tehran that was struck by an Israeli attack on June 13
Mourners stand next to the coffin of Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander Hossein Salami (front), and other military commanders killed during Israeli strikes on the first day of the war, during their funeral procession at Enqelab Square in the capital Tehran on June 28, 2025. Iran began a state funeral service on June 28
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.'
Pezeshkian added that Iran would be open to US investments should sanctions on Tehran be lifted.
'There is no limitation and nothing preventing the US investors to come to Iran and to make investments in Iran.'
Pezeshkian also warned that the US has two ways in front of it for dealing with Iran and the region: peace or war.
'US President Mr. Trump is capable enough to guide the region towards peace and a brighter future and put Israel in its place or get into an endless pit or swamp and that is a war that Netanyahu wants the US or its president to be dragged into.'
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