Mohammad Sadr, a member of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council, alleged that Israel played a role in assassinating then-president Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May 2024, along with then-foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and others, in an interview with "Synergy" on Sunday evening.
"Synergy" is hosted by Mohammed Hossein Ranjbaran, who is a producer at the state-run outlet Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). He also serves as an advisor to the foreign minister, according to Iran International.
"From the very first moment I said this was an assassination...carried out by Israel," Sadr said, according to Saudi-owned outlet al-Arabiya.
He emphasized that the claim is a "personal analysis," and not based on any documents or evidence, according to London-based dissident outlet Iran International.
Several sources, including the interviewer, have cited that Iran's military chiefs assessed that Israel was not involved in the helicopter crash, and have repeatedly denied any links to an assassination attempt. Anti-Israel activists at the time also alleged Israeli responsibility for the incident.
BBC's Persian-language channel added that Sadr said Israel's alleged assassination of Raisi was intended to send a message that "if Iran continues, we [Israel] will continue as well," insinuating that Israel assassinated Raisi in order to prevent Iran's military build-up, support of Iran-backed terror groups across the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, and to stop Iran seeking nuclear weapons.
"Because I knew, through my contacts with Hezbollah in Lebanon, that one of the ways Hezbollah and Israel exchange messages is through the operational field; that is, through carrying out operations so that the other side understands the message," Sadr was cited as saying by Iran International.
Did Russia provide Israel information on Iran's air defenses?
Sadr also alleged that Russia provided intelligence to Israel on Iranian air defense sites during the interview.
He referred to the strategic alliance between Iran and Russia signed earlier this year as "worthless," according to the Saudi outlet, after Israel successfully destroyed Iran's air defense systems and assassinated senior military commanders and nuclear scientists during June's Operation Rising Lion.
Iranian observers cited by al-Arabiya stated that Russia condemned the attacks, but did not exert diplomatic pressure to stop them.
The treaty was designed to strengthen Iranian-Russian relations, particularly in "military cooperation," according to Agence France-Presse.
"Our relationship with Russia must be serious, and at the same time, we must not trust them," he commented, Iran International reported.
This is because "in the event of a war with the US, Russia will not offer us any assistance," he added.
Who is Mohammed Sadr?
Sadr has served as a member of the Expediency Discernment Council since 2017, and is related to the Islamic Republic's founder, Ruhollah Khomeini, according to Iran International.
He also served as deputy foreign minister for Arab and African Affairs and was a senior advisor to then-foreign minister Javad Zarif, the outlet added.