Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Israel attempted to assassinate him, reported Xinhua.
He made the remarks in an interview with U.S. media personality Tucker Carlson, which was aired on Monday, according to the full text of the interview published on the website of the Iranian president's office.
Pezeshkian said Israel, "based on intelligence provided by its spies," bombed the place in which he had been attending a meeting reviewing his administration's plans.
Pezeshkian said he was not afraid of death and was ready to defend Iran's people, independence, and freedom even if that cost him his life.
He advised the U.S. not to get involved in a war waged by Israel as it would be an "endless war," which would have nothing but "horror and insecurity" for the West Asia region.
He said that when Iranians chanted the "Death to America" slogan, it did not mean that they wished death on the U.S. people or officials, but on "crime, murder, supporting massacre and the policies that compromise the region's security."
Speaking about the negotiations with the United States, Pezeshkian noted that "as we were still in negotiation, they dropped bombs on the negotiating table and destroyed diplomacy."
Nevertheless, as he said, Iran was undoubtedly ready to re-engage in dialogue and provide verification "as we have never escaped from verification."
"We do not have any problem with holding negotiations. However, the disasters caused by Israel in the region and our country… have made the situation critical," Pezeshkian said, adding that the precondition for resuming the negotiations is "having trust in the dialogue's process."
He also reiterated that Iran had never sought to make nuclear weapons and would never do so.
On June 13, Israel launched major airstrikes on several areas in Iran, including nuclear and military sites, killing senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and many civilians. Iran responded with multiple waves of missile and drone attacks on Israel.
On June 22, U.S. forces bombed the three Iranian nuclear facilities of Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. In retaliation, Iran struck the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
The Israeli attacks were launched a few days before the sixth round of indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States on Tehran's nuclear program and the removal of U.S. sanctions, scheduled to be held in Oman's capital Muscat on June 15.
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Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
