IRANIAN PRESIDENT INJURED DURING ISRAELI STRIKES, U.S. SOURCES SAY
In a dramatic escalation of Middle East tensions, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was reportedly injured during a series of Israeli airstrikes on targets near the Syrian capital, Damascus, according to senior U.S. intelligence sources. The information, first disclosed by officials familiar with classified briefings, has not yet been confirmed by Iranian state media, though speculation is rapidly spreading across regional and international channels.
According to U.S. sources, President Raisi was in Damascus for a high-level, unannounced meeting with senior Syrian and Hezbollah leaders when Israeli warplanes launched precision strikes targeting military and intelligence installations in the vicinity of the Syrian Presidential Palace and an Iranian military coordination center.
The Israeli air force has frequently carried out strikes in Syria, targeting Iranian weapons shipments, military outposts, and personnel affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). However, this latest strike is believed to be the most politically significant, given Raisi’s alleged presence.
“Multiple Israeli missiles struck facilities known to be frequented by high-ranking Iranian and Hezbollah operatives,” one U.S. official said on condition of anonymity. “We believe President Raisi was at or near one of these sites and sustained injuries—possibly serious, though not life-threatening.”
If confirmed, the incident would mark an unprecedented development: the wounding of a sitting head of state during an international military strike. Iran has maintained a heavy military and intelligence presence in Syria for over a decade, supporting the Assad regime and attempting to entrench itself along Israel’s northern border—a red line repeatedly emphasized by Israeli officials.
Israel has not commented directly on the reports but reaffirmed its commitment to preventing Iranian entrenchment in Syria. “We will not allow Iran to turn Syria into a second Lebanon,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said earlier this week. “Any threats to our sovereignty will be met with force.”
Iranian state-run media has remained silent on Raisi’s whereabouts in the past 24 hours, fueling speculation. Previously scheduled appearances and speeches were abruptly canceled, and a spokesperson from the Iranian presidential office declined to comment when asked by international journalists. Iranian social media has been abuzz with conflicting accounts, some suggesting Raisi is hospitalized in Damascus under tight security, others denying he was ever in Syria.
In Tehran, the mood is tense. Should the reports be true, the incident could provoke a strong reaction from Iran’s leadership, which has already vowed to retaliate for previous Israeli strikes on IRGC commanders in Syria and Lebanon. “This would be seen as a direct attack on the Iranian state,” said regional analyst Dalia Rahimi. “Iran’s response—political, military, or cyber—could be severe.”
The United Nations and several countries, including Russia and Turkey, have called for restraint. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was monitoring the situation closely and urged all parties to avoid further escalation.
As the region watches anxiously, the world awaits confirmation from Iran. Whether or not President Raisi was indeed injured, the mere possibility underscores the perilous volatility of the Israel-Iran shadow conflict and its potential to spark a wider regional war.