Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian was also targeted in an airstrike during the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. He survived the attack but was "slightly" injured. Tehran alleges that the attack was carried out to assassinate the president.
The incident took place on June 15. A senior Iranian government official said that President Pezeshkian was attending a meeting of the Supreme National Security Council in the capital Tehran during the conflict, when Israeli forces attacked.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Israel carried out the attack to assassinate top leaders of three branches of the Iranian government. The aim of the attack was to overthrow the Iranian regime. He also told Al Jazeera that Israel must pay compensation for this.
President Pezeshkian was in Tehran that day, attending a meeting with other senior officials, including the heads of the government's executive, legal and judicial departments. The attack occurred during the meeting, which was taking place just before noon.
Iran's semi-official Fars news agency has released new details about the assassination attempt that took place during the 12-day conflict. The Iranian president also spoke publicly about the attack for the first time in an interview on Monday.
The meeting of senior government officials was taking place on the ground floor of a government building in western Tehran, Fars News reported. Six missiles were fired at the entrance and exit of the building, blocking escape routes and disrupting air circulation.
The building was knocked out of power after the missile strike. However, President Pezeshkian and senior government officials were able to safely evacuate the building using a pre-arranged emergency exit. President Pezeshkian reportedly suffered a "minor" injury to his leg during the escape.
The news agency reported that the intelligence information the enemy (the Israelis) had regarding the attack was so accurate that Iranian authorities are investigating the suspicion of Israeli spies.