Israeli airstrikes injured Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in June during a high-level security meeting in Tehran, two United States intelligence officials told CBS News. Iranian state media reported that Pezeshkian was attending a Supreme National Security Council meeting when the strike occurred and suffered leg injuries while evacuating through an emergency shaft.
In an interview earlier this month with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, Pezeshkian said Israel deliberately targeted him, alleging Israeli intelligence pinpointed the meeting location before the strike. “They did try [to kill me], yes,” Pezeshkian said, adding that it was not the United States, but Israel behind the alleged attempt. He did not specify the date of the strike.
What damage did US airstrikes cause to Iran’s nuclear sites?
The revelation of Pezeshkian’s injury comes amid new reports raising questions about the extent of damage when the U.S. military struck three of Iran’s principal nuclear facilities in June as part of Operation Midnight Hammer.
U.S. officials briefed on intelligence assessments of the operation said only one site — Fordo — suffered extensive damage. The investigation is still ongoing.
Stealth bombers dropped bunker-buster bombs through ventilation shafts, which likely destroyed critical infrastructure. However, a congressional aide told The Washington Post that analysts remain uncertain whether centrifuges at Fordo’s deepest levels were destroyed or moved beforehand.
“We definitely can’t say it was obliterated,” the official said of Iran’s nuclear program.
Damage at the other sites, Natanz and Isfahan, is less clear. Israeli jets struck Natanz before the U.S. bombardment. Some underground rooms sustained damage, but officials are still reviewing the full extent.
U.S. submarines launched Tomahawk cruise missiles at surface targets at the Isfahan site. Military officials judged the underground facility too fortified for direct strikes.
Did strikes damage Iran’s nuclear program?
Echoing President Donald Trump’s description of the damage, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said all three nuclear facilities were “completely and totally obliterated.”
Parnell added that the strikes set Iran’s program back one to two years. The White House described the mission as a success and credited Trump for eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat.
However, congressional aides and nuclear experts caution that the program may not be fully dismantled. The extent of remaining stockpiles and surviving equipment is unknown, and some believe Iran could eventually resume uranium enrichment efforts.
Israeli intelligence officials also highlighted the killing of nuclear scientists and the destruction of missile infrastructure during the conflict.
What are the implications for Iran and the region?
The 12-day conflict killed hundreds in Iran and 28 in Israel before a Trump-brokered ceasefire. The strikes killed two senior Iranian commanders, including Gen. Hossein Salami and Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
Experts in Israel and the U.S. said Iran now views itself in a prolonged conflict with Israel, prompting efforts to rebuild defenses and reassess vulnerabilities. Whether Iran chooses diplomacy or escalation in response remains uncertain.
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Author: Bast Bramhall
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