A new report published by Iran’s state-affiliated Fars News Agency on Saturday has revealed that the Iranian government narrowly avoided being wiped out during the early hours of the recent war with Israel. Among those injured was newly elected Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian.
According to Fars, on June 15—just 48 hours after the outbreak of hostilities—the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) had convened in an underground command bunker beneath a government building in Tehran. Israeli aircraft reportedly dropped bunker-buster bombs on the entrances to the complex in a deliberate attempt to trap and eliminate Iran’s top military and political leadership.
All officials inside the facility, including President Pezeshkian, managed to escape through an emergency exit, sustaining only minor injuries. Pezeshkian reportedly suffered a leg injury while fleeing. The strike was designed to suffocate airflow and block exits, resembling the method used in the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last year.
The location of the SNSC bunker was allegedly compromised by an Israeli spy, according to the report. While unconfirmed video footage circulated on social media showing a major blast on June 15, it has not been definitively linked to this specific incident.
Fars also disclosed new details about the confusion and disarray within Iran’s military in the hours following the first Israeli strikes. Iranian intelligence had predicted an Israeli attack but believed it would be limited to nuclear facilities. In contrast, Israel’s opening salvo targeted Iran’s military command infrastructure and the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), paralyzing the high command.
Within 24 hours, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly stepped in to reorganize the military hierarchy and mobilize political leaders, ultimately enabling Iran to respond with missile attacks on Israeli territory just 18 hours after the initial bombardment.
Following the war, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that Israel had been seeking to assassinate Khamenei, although the opportunity never materialized.
The revelations underscore what Iranian officials claim was a coordinated Israeli–U.S. attempt to decapitate Iran’s leadership and engineer a government collapse. While the strategy failed, the report highlights the severe vulnerability Iran faced in the conflict's opening days.