Iran’s Araghchi recalls narrowly surviving assassination attempt at start of war

In an interview with Iranian journalist Javad Moghoui, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has provided a dramatic firsthand account of narrowly escaping death alongside the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during the opening salvo of the 2026 Iran-‘Israel’-US war.

The strike on February 28 marked a devastating blow to Iran's leadership, with Khamenei confirmed killed in the coordinated US-‘Israeli’ airstrikes.

Araghchi described precise intelligence held by ‘Israel’ and the United States on the locations of Khamenei and senior officials.

He was briefing Ali Asghar Hejazi, Khamenei's Deputy Chief of Staff, when the building was hit.

“I was just briefing Khamenei's Deputy Chief of Staff Ali Asghar Hejazi when the building was shaken by three explosions within seconds, each one closer than the last,” Araghchi recounted.

"The third explosion was almost next to our building," he said.

"The section where Mr Hijazi's office was located was directly hit."

“I grabbed Hejazi's hand, and we made our way through beams, planks, and pieces of wood... Eventually we got out, and I saw that different parts of the compound had been targeted.”

“The ceiling, walls and everything collapsed on us,” Araghchi added in accounts shared across Iranian state media and interviews, including with Al Mayadeen.

Hejazi’s secretary was killed instantly, while the two senior officials survived by forcing their way through debris.

"For three days we were cut off from all information, trying to find out who was alive and who had been killed," he said. 

"The enemies thought they could paralyze us by targeting the leadership, but they failed."

The attack occurred shortly after Araghchi returned from diplomatic negotiations in Geneva, amid escalating tensions.

Khamenei's death was confirmed by Iranian state media on the same day, triggering a period of national mourning. His son,

Mojtaba Khamenei, his son, succeeded him as Supreme Leader.