Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was reportedly injured in a June 16 missile strike.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian was reportedly injured during an Israeli airstrike on June 16 that targeted a covert subterranean facility in Tehran, according to a report by Iran’s Fars News Agency, a media outlet closely aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The facility, described as a strategic bunker hosting an emergency session of the Supreme National Security Council, was allegedly struck by six precision-guided bombs. These munitions reportedly hit critical entry and ventilation points, disabling electricity and air systems and trapping senior leaders inside.
Pezeshkian, who had been inside the facility at the time, is said to have suffered minor leg injuries during an emergency escape through a ventilation shaft.
The Israeli government has not confirmed the strike, and the extent of Pezeshkian’s injuries remains unverified. However, the incident—if confirmed—would mark the first known instance of an Iranian head of state being injured in an Israeli operation.
“Israel attempted to assassinate me,” Pezeshkian claimed last week.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz dismissed the claim, stating that regime change was not the goal of the military campaign, and that Israel was targeting “operational threats” to national security.
The June 16 strike came amid a broader 12-day Israeli military operation launched without warning, reportedly aimed at degrading Iran’s command-and-control systems. Intelligence reports suggest several IRGC and military commanders were killed in the first wave of attacks.
Strikes on June 13 had already hit nuclear research and air defence sites, prompting Iranian retaliation and a further escalation involving the United States on June 22.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that U.S. forces had “obliterated three Iranian nuclear facilities,” though U.S. intelligence agencies have given more conservative assessments regarding the level of destruction.
Iran maintains that its nuclear activities are entirely peaceful, but the latest round of strikes has heightened fears of a new regional crisis. As investigations continue, analysts warn that the injuries to Pezeshkian, if true, may indicate deep Israeli penetration of Iran’s military infrastructure and increased vulnerability at the highest levels of government.
More clarity is expected in the coming weeks as both sides assess damage and recalibrate strategy.
