TEHERAN - Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Israel attempted to assassinate him.

He made the remarks in an interview with US 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 US 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 US people or officials, but on "crime, murder, supporting massacre and the policies that compromise the region's security."

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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.

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Death toll from Israeli attacks 

The death toll from Israeli attacks on Iran between June 13 and 24 has reached 1,060, head of Iran's Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs Saeed Ohadi said Monday.

In a televised interview with state-run IRIB TV, Ohadi said the number could further rise given the seriously injured and the unidentified bodies.

Post-conflict regional developments 

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Sunday held discussions with his Russian and Turkish counterparts on the recent developments in the West Asia region.

The discussion took place on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Araghchi met separately with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, according to statements released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

In his meeting with Lavrov, Araghchi condemned the Israeli-US aggression against Iran, emphasizing his country's determination to defend its sovereignty and hold the aggressors accountable. He noted that these attacks had dealt a "lethal blow" to the principles of the United Nations Charter, diplomacy and the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Lavrov reiterated Russia's condemnation of the illegal Israeli and US strikes, particularly those on Iran's peaceful nuclear facilities. He stressed the importance of preventing further escalation and ensuring regional stability, pledging Russia's support, including at the UN Security Council.

In Araghchi's separate meeting with Fidan, they discussed the ongoing situation in Gaza and called for immediate action to end Israel's "genocide." Both sides emphasized the need to hold Israel accountable for its crimes.

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Israel launched a series of major airstrikes on June 13 targeting nuclear and military sites across Iran, killing senior commanders, nuclear scientists, and civilians, and injuring many others, according to Iranian authorities.

Iran retaliated with multiple waves of missile and drone attacks on Israeli territory, causing casualties and damage.

On June 22, US forces bombed the three Iranian nuclear facilities of Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. In retaliation, Iran struck the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

A ceasefire between the two countries was reached on June 24, ending 12 days of fighting.