Two senior U.S. intelligence officials confirmed to CBS News that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was injured during last month’s Israeli strikes on Tehran, lending credibility to earlier reports by Iranian state media. According to the sources, Pezeshkian sustained a leg injury while escaping through an emergency shaft after an Israeli missile hit near the Supreme National Security Council compound, where he was attending a high-level meeting.
The revelation marks one of the most significant disclosures since Israel’s unprecedented air campaign against Iran in June—a campaign that targeted military and strategic facilities deep inside the capital. While U.S. officials declined to confirm whether Pezeshkian was an intended target, the timing and location of the strike have fueled speculation of an attempted decapitation strike aimed at Iran’s leadership.
In an interview with Tucker Carlson earlier this month, Pezeshkian acknowledged the attack, alleging that Israel sought to assassinate him. “They did try, yes. And they acted accordingly, but they failed,” he stated, portraying himself as the survivor of an Israeli plot. The comments raised international eyebrows at the time but were dismissed by some as political posturing—until today’s U.S. confirmation.
The strikes in Tehran formed part of a broader Israeli response to Iranian ballistic missile attacks on key Israeli military installations and civilian centers, which escalated regional tensions to their highest point in decades. The campaign targeted IRGC command hubs, missile production sites, and critical infrastructure, delivering a clear message of deterrence—but the collateral damage to Iran’s political elite underscores the gravity of the confrontation.
Iran has yet to disclose the full extent of damage from the Israeli strikes, but Western intelligence suggests multiple senior Iranian officials were injured or killed. Pezeshkian’s injury, however, stands out due to his role as president during a pivotal moment for Iran’s domestic and foreign policy, particularly as the regime struggles with crippling U.S. sanctions, internal unrest, and military losses across the region.
Analysts warn that this revelation could harden Tehran’s position in any future negotiations and embolden calls within the Iranian leadership for retaliatory operations against Israeli assets. Meanwhile, Israeli officials have maintained strategic ambiguity, neither confirming nor denying the targeted nature of their Tehran strikes.
