IRAN — In a revelation that may further escalate regional tensions, United States intelligence officials have confirmed that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was wounded during an Israeli airstrike on a secure government compound in western Tehran on June 16. The disclosure, independently verified by two American intelligence sources and later corroborated through diplomatic channels in Europe, comes amid growing fears of a wider conflict between Iran and Israel following the 12-day war that left hundreds dead and devastated strategic infrastructure in both countries.
The Israeli strike reportedly targeted an underground facility where Iran’s Supreme National Security Council was holding a high-level meeting. Six precision-guided bombs allegedly struck escape routes and electrical control rooms, triggering partial collapses inside the compound. According to analysts familiar with Israeli strike patterns, the tactic mirrors past decapitation-style operations meant to neutralize entire leadership cores in one coordinated attack. President Pezeshkian, alongside top defense and intelligence figures, managed to flee through an emergency hatch. However, multiple sources confirm he sustained an injury to his leg during the escape, raising urgent questions about the depth of Israeli surveillance within the heart of Iran’s political command structure.
Iranian state media has described the attack as a “cowardly assassination attempt,” pointing fingers directly at the Israeli government. While Tel Aviv has refused to comment, the absence of a denial speaks volumes, particularly in light of similar high-risk strikes conducted by Israeli forces in Lebanon and Syria in recent months. Pezeshkian, who has maintained a calculated public calm since the war, alluded to the incident during a recent interview, acknowledging an attempt on his life but placing the blame squarely on Israel—not the United States. His remarks appear aimed at preserving diplomatic bandwidth with Washington, even as Tehran ramps up rhetoric accusing the West of enabling Israeli aggression.
The strategic implications of the strike remain under debate in global intelligence circles. Some argue the operation was intended to send a chilling message to Iran’s security elite, following a series of retaliatory missile launches against Israeli cities. Others suggest it may have been a bid to fracture Iran’s internal cohesion ahead of wider diplomatic negotiations. What is indisputable is the fallout: within weeks of the attack, Iran initiated a sweeping internal purge, arresting hundreds of government workers, security staff, and military officers suspected of leaking sensitive location data. Several have already been executed in expedited court proceedings.
The attempted assassination has underscored the vulnerability of Iran’s leadership, even within what were believed to be impenetrable military installations. It also highlights the expanded scope of Israel’s reach—a clear escalation that moves beyond infrastructure targeting into the realm of political decapitation. Such a move, deliberate or not, risks drawing Iran deeper into asymmetric retaliation campaigns across Lebanon, Syria, and even the Persian Gulf.
President Pezeshkian’s survival may have averted a full-scale regional war—for now. But the message from Tel Aviv was unmistakable: no official is beyond reach. As US intelligence officials continue to downplay Washington’s involvement, analysts are warning that this incident may mark the beginning of a more direct phase in the long-running Israel-Iran shadow war.
The CBS News confirm aspects of the strike’s aftermath through diplomatic sources, reinforcing early reports by regional outlets and providing additional context to the intelligence assessment now circulating in Washington and Brussels.
