Breaking News Top Iranian Nuclear Scientist Assassinated
- Thread starter Mcqueeny
- Start date
Personally, I think that's highly like as we all know where the US and Western world stand on the Iranians having nuclear. Here's what the article says on who is behind it:
What happened?
In a statement on Friday, Iran's defence ministry said: "Armed terrorists targeted a vehicle carrying Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, head of the ministry's research and innovation organization.
"After a clash between the terrorists and his bodyguards, Mr Fakhrizadeh was severely injured and rushed to hospital.
"Unfortunately, the medical team's efforts to save him were unsuccessful and minutes ago he passed away."
Iranian media reports said the attackers opened fire on the scientist in his car.
YES. Trump wanted to strike at Iran when he lost the election out of frustration. Thank God Congress a while go made it impossible for a president to go to war unless congress approves. I wont be surprised Trump giving approval to Israeli Intelligence to assassinate- free of charge.
Armed terrorists backed by the US I'd guess
It's too much of a coincidence for this to happen in Iran of all places, not to mention the victim here and the geopolitics behind such an assassination.
The world is unfair place. Would the US ever tolerate such cowardly acts on their nuclear scientists?! Hell No. The entire country would yearn for genocide and decimation of the perpetrators. Iran is a victim of arrogant Western alliance and soon they shall have the last laugh.
AbdiGeedi
To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
Iran is blaming Israel:
apnews.com
Iran scientist linked to military nuclear program killed
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — An Iranian scientist named by the West as the leader of the Islamic Republic's disbanded military nuclear program was killed Friday in an ambush on the outskirts of Tehran, authorities said.
apnews.com
AbdiGeedi
To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
Iranian authorities are stupid. This is not the 1st time their scientists get killed like this. They need to keep notable scientists in protected towns and travel only in armored vehicles. Is it really hard and expensive to do? No. Hence, their stupidity.
Hassan mahat
I karbash wahabist salafis daily.
Israel is ok probably behind it. They usually resort to this when they don’t have a strong us support against Iran. Biden is going back to the Iran deal, and they don’t like that. Remember there were assassination like this in 2010.
Twitter pointing to Israels CIA, ie Mossad
It turns out these targetted assassinations of Iranian Nuclear Scientists has happened in the past several times:
Timeline
Timeline
| Date | Target | Place | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 January 2007 | Ardeshir Hosseinpour | Unknown | Died |
| 12 January 2010 | Masoud Alimohammadi | Gheytariah Street, in front of Alimohammadi's house | Assassinated |
| 29 November 2010 | Majid Shahriari | Near Artesh Boulevard | Assassinated |
| 29 November 2010 | Fereydoon Abbasi | Velenjak, in front of Shahid Beheshti University | Survived |
| 23 July 2011 | Darioush Rezaeinejad | In front of his house[22] | Assassinated |
| 11 January 2012 | Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan | Ketabi Square, Golnabi Street | Assassinated |
| 27 November 2020 | Mohsen Fakhrizadeh | Damavand, east of Tehran | Assassinated |
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh: Iran scientist 'killed by remote-controlled weapon'
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was buried in Tehran following his assassination on Friday
Iran believes Israel and an exiled opposition group used a remote-control weapon to shoot dead top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on Friday.
Security chief Ali Shamkhani said the attackers had "used electronic equipment" when Fakhrizadeh's car was fired on the East of the capital Tehran.
He was speaking at the funeral of the scientist Israel accused of secretly helping to develop nuclear weapons.
Israel has not publicly commented on the allegations of its involvement.
It has been subjected to crippling Western sanctions aimed at preventing it from developing nuclear weapons.
How did the scientist die?
Iranian versions of what happened have changed significantly but it appears that Fakhrizadeh was mortally wounded when his car was sprayed with bullets in the town of Absard, to the east of Tehran.
During the attack, a bomb in a Nissan pickup truck is also reported to have exploded.
Pictures on social media show a road strewn with wreckage and blood and a bullet-riddled vehicle.
First, the defence ministry reported a gunfight between Fakhrizadeh's bodyguards and several gunmen.
One Iranian report quoted witnesses as saying "three to four individuals, who are said to have been terrorists, were killed".
Then Iranian media said the scientist had in fact been killed by a "remote-controlled machine gun" or weapons "controlled by satellite".
And on Monday, Rear Admiral Shamkhani, who heads the Supreme National Security Council, confirmed it had been a remote attack, using "special methods".
media captionThe road near Tehran where gunmen opened fire on Mohsen Fakhrizadeh
"It was a very complex mission using electronic equipment," he said at the funeral. "There was no-one present at the scene."
He said Iranian intelligence and security services had been aware of a plot to assassinate Fakhrizadeh, and had even predicted where the attack might take place.
On who was to blame, he singled out exiled Iranian opposition group the Mujahideen-e Khalq and Israel.
Israel's Intelligence Minister, Eli Cohen, said on Monday in an interview with a radio station that he did not know who was behind the killing.
However, an unnamed senior Israeli official involved in tracking Iranian nuclear activities was quoted by the New York Times as saying that "Iran's aspirations for nuclear weapons, promoted by Mr Fakhrizadeh, posed such a menace that the world should thank Israel".
Machine guns and other remotely controlled ground weapons are now widely used across the Middle East, according to a report by Forbes.
They are employed both by professional armies, such as those mounted on combat vehicles, but also by militants who are known to have put them in vehicles or stationary posts.
Iran's conflicting versions of how its top nuclear scientist was ambushed and killed appear to contradict each other.
The initial account spoke of a dozen armed assailants opening fire on the scientist's convoy and exchanging shots with his bodyguards. The later version, involving both a remote-controlled vehicle and even more bizarrely, a remote-controlled gun, sounds less plausible, although not impossible.
The only way an assassination squad could make sure they had finished the job would be to have eyes on the target. If the earlier version were true then Iran's powerful security and intelligence establishment would face the embarrassing challenge of having to hunt down a large team of assassins just a short drive from the capital.
One thing is clear though: this has been a massive failure of counter-intelligence for Iran's security chiefs and some hard questions are now being asked.
How is Iran responding?
Fakhrizadeh's funeral was held at the defence ministry in Tehran after which his remains were transferred to a cemetery in the north of the capital.
General Amir Hatami said Iran would continue the path of the "martyr doctor"
State television showed the flag-draped coffin being carried by troops, and senior officials - including Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, Revolutionary Guards commander Gen Hossein Salami and nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi - paying their respects.
In his own speech at the funeral, Defence Minister General Amir Hatami reiterated Iran's determination to avenge Fakhrizadeh's killing.
"The enemies know, and I as a soldier tell them, that no crime, no terror and no stupid act will go unanswered by the Iranian people," he said.
As head of Iran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, known by its Persian acronym SPND, Fakhrizadeh had carried out "considerable work" in the area of "nuclear defence", the general said.
The government would double the SPND's budget in order to continue the path of the "martyr doctor" with "more speed and more power", he added.
What are regional media saying?
Iranian media are focusing on projecting two main messages - the threat of revenge for the scientist's killing, and a warning that Iran should not "fall into the trap" of what they say are Israel's attempts to escalate tensions over the Iranian nuclear programme.
Israeli media are highlighting the timing of the attack, with analysts interpreting this as a signal to US President-elect Joe Biden that Israel "won't go quietly" if he seeks to rejoin the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. There is also much speculation about possible Iranian retaliation.
Saudi media are reporting the assassination prominently and with interest, given the kingdom's opposition to its regional rival's nuclear programme. A cartoon in the Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper appears to mock the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' capabilities. Al Arabiya TV's website meanwhile asks: "Will Fakhrizadeh's assassination affect Biden's approach to Iran?"
Why was Fakhrizadeh a target?
Israeli and Western security sources say Fakhrizadeh was instrumental in Iran's nuclear programme.
The physics professor is said to have led "Project Amad", a covert programme that Iran allegedly established in 1989 to carry out research on a potential nuclear bomb.
In 2018, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled what he claimed to be Iran's secret atomic archive
The project was shut down in 2003, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, though Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said in 2018 that documents obtained by his country showed Fakhrizadeh led a programme that was secretly continuing Project Amad's work.
In a presentation, Mr Netanyahu urged people to "remember that name".
Iran has previously accused Israel of assassinating four other Iranian nuclear scientists between 2010 and 2012.
Analysts have speculated that the latest assassination was not meant to cripple the Iranian nuclear programme but rather to put an end to the prospect of the US rejoining the 2015 Iran nuclear deal when President-elect Joe Biden takes office next year.
President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018, saying it was "defective at its core", and reinstated US sanctions in an attempt to force Iran's leaders to negotiate a replacement.
Iran has refused to do so and retaliated by breaching a number of key commitments, such as increasing its stockpile of enriched uranium. Enriched uranium can be used to make fuel for nuclear reactors but also potentially nuclear bombs.
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was buried in Tehran following his assassination on Friday
Iran believes Israel and an exiled opposition group used a remote-control weapon to shoot dead top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on Friday.
Security chief Ali Shamkhani said the attackers had "used electronic equipment" when Fakhrizadeh's car was fired on the East of the capital Tehran.
He was speaking at the funeral of the scientist Israel accused of secretly helping to develop nuclear weapons.
Israel has not publicly commented on the allegations of its involvement.
- What were the motives behind the killing?
- After Trump, what will Biden do about Iran?
- Iran nuclear crisis in 300 words
It has been subjected to crippling Western sanctions aimed at preventing it from developing nuclear weapons.
How did the scientist die?
Iranian versions of what happened have changed significantly but it appears that Fakhrizadeh was mortally wounded when his car was sprayed with bullets in the town of Absard, to the east of Tehran.
During the attack, a bomb in a Nissan pickup truck is also reported to have exploded.
Pictures on social media show a road strewn with wreckage and blood and a bullet-riddled vehicle.
First, the defence ministry reported a gunfight between Fakhrizadeh's bodyguards and several gunmen.
One Iranian report quoted witnesses as saying "three to four individuals, who are said to have been terrorists, were killed".
Then Iranian media said the scientist had in fact been killed by a "remote-controlled machine gun" or weapons "controlled by satellite".
And on Monday, Rear Admiral Shamkhani, who heads the Supreme National Security Council, confirmed it had been a remote attack, using "special methods".
media captionThe road near Tehran where gunmen opened fire on Mohsen Fakhrizadeh
"It was a very complex mission using electronic equipment," he said at the funeral. "There was no-one present at the scene."
He said Iranian intelligence and security services had been aware of a plot to assassinate Fakhrizadeh, and had even predicted where the attack might take place.
On who was to blame, he singled out exiled Iranian opposition group the Mujahideen-e Khalq and Israel.
Israel's Intelligence Minister, Eli Cohen, said on Monday in an interview with a radio station that he did not know who was behind the killing.
However, an unnamed senior Israeli official involved in tracking Iranian nuclear activities was quoted by the New York Times as saying that "Iran's aspirations for nuclear weapons, promoted by Mr Fakhrizadeh, posed such a menace that the world should thank Israel".
Machine guns and other remotely controlled ground weapons are now widely used across the Middle East, according to a report by Forbes.
They are employed both by professional armies, such as those mounted on combat vehicles, but also by militants who are known to have put them in vehicles or stationary posts.
Iran's conflicting versions of how its top nuclear scientist was ambushed and killed appear to contradict each other.
The initial account spoke of a dozen armed assailants opening fire on the scientist's convoy and exchanging shots with his bodyguards. The later version, involving both a remote-controlled vehicle and even more bizarrely, a remote-controlled gun, sounds less plausible, although not impossible.
The only way an assassination squad could make sure they had finished the job would be to have eyes on the target. If the earlier version were true then Iran's powerful security and intelligence establishment would face the embarrassing challenge of having to hunt down a large team of assassins just a short drive from the capital.
One thing is clear though: this has been a massive failure of counter-intelligence for Iran's security chiefs and some hard questions are now being asked.
How is Iran responding?
Fakhrizadeh's funeral was held at the defence ministry in Tehran after which his remains were transferred to a cemetery in the north of the capital.
General Amir Hatami said Iran would continue the path of the "martyr doctor"
State television showed the flag-draped coffin being carried by troops, and senior officials - including Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, Revolutionary Guards commander Gen Hossein Salami and nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi - paying their respects.
In his own speech at the funeral, Defence Minister General Amir Hatami reiterated Iran's determination to avenge Fakhrizadeh's killing.
"The enemies know, and I as a soldier tell them, that no crime, no terror and no stupid act will go unanswered by the Iranian people," he said.
As head of Iran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, known by its Persian acronym SPND, Fakhrizadeh had carried out "considerable work" in the area of "nuclear defence", the general said.
The government would double the SPND's budget in order to continue the path of the "martyr doctor" with "more speed and more power", he added.
What are regional media saying?
Iranian media are focusing on projecting two main messages - the threat of revenge for the scientist's killing, and a warning that Iran should not "fall into the trap" of what they say are Israel's attempts to escalate tensions over the Iranian nuclear programme.
Israeli media are highlighting the timing of the attack, with analysts interpreting this as a signal to US President-elect Joe Biden that Israel "won't go quietly" if he seeks to rejoin the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. There is also much speculation about possible Iranian retaliation.
Saudi media are reporting the assassination prominently and with interest, given the kingdom's opposition to its regional rival's nuclear programme. A cartoon in the Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper appears to mock the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' capabilities. Al Arabiya TV's website meanwhile asks: "Will Fakhrizadeh's assassination affect Biden's approach to Iran?"
Why was Fakhrizadeh a target?
Israeli and Western security sources say Fakhrizadeh was instrumental in Iran's nuclear programme.
The physics professor is said to have led "Project Amad", a covert programme that Iran allegedly established in 1989 to carry out research on a potential nuclear bomb.
In 2018, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled what he claimed to be Iran's secret atomic archive
The project was shut down in 2003, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, though Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said in 2018 that documents obtained by his country showed Fakhrizadeh led a programme that was secretly continuing Project Amad's work.
In a presentation, Mr Netanyahu urged people to "remember that name".
Iran has previously accused Israel of assassinating four other Iranian nuclear scientists between 2010 and 2012.
Analysts have speculated that the latest assassination was not meant to cripple the Iranian nuclear programme but rather to put an end to the prospect of the US rejoining the 2015 Iran nuclear deal when President-elect Joe Biden takes office next year.
President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018, saying it was "defective at its core", and reinstated US sanctions in an attempt to force Iran's leaders to negotiate a replacement.
Iran has refused to do so and retaliated by breaching a number of key commitments, such as increasing its stockpile of enriched uranium. Enriched uranium can be used to make fuel for nuclear reactors but also potentially nuclear bombs.
The circles of the intelligence industry are talking about how this will screw with biden’s vision of bringing iran back to the world stage. The peace talks will become more difficult as iran vows for revenge.
With biden wanting to normalize relations with iran the strategic goal of isrelal became quite clear, neutralize the leading iranian nuclear scientist to temporarily halt irans nuclear adventure.
the saudi’s co-signed the terrorist execution in Neom the futuristic city which is still in construction.
brace yourselves for a new middle eastern war that might escalate to a world war.
With biden wanting to normalize relations with iran the strategic goal of isrelal became quite clear, neutralize the leading iranian nuclear scientist to temporarily halt irans nuclear adventure.
the saudi’s co-signed the terrorist execution in Neom the futuristic city which is still in construction.
brace yourselves for a new middle eastern war that might escalate to a world war.
The real issue is the Trump administration’s actions over the last four years, but the risks may be growing as it heads for the exit
As any dramatist could tell you when can be as important as what. The assassination of the Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh last week was a reckless and provocative act, tagged as a potential breach of international law not only by the UN rapporteur on extrajudicial killings but also by the former CIA chief John Brennan. Though no one has claimed responsibility, US officials have indicated that the killing is the work of Israel; previous assassinations of nuclear scientists have been attributed to Mossad.
What is truly striking is the timing. Fakhrizadeh was a top target, but the last such killing was in 2012, and the Obama administration had warned Israel off other hits. It is hard to believe it is a coincidence that this took place as Donald Trump prepares to reluctantly leave the office. As such, it appears to have less to do with events in Iran than with politics in the US and indeed Israel, where Benjamin Netanyahu is looking once more to his electoral prospects. The real damage done is not to the Iranian nuclear program, but to diplomacy. The suspicion is that the intent is to provoke a reaction that the president-elect, Joe Biden, might feel unable to ignore, making his plans for a return to the nuclear accord even tougher – or, worse still, which allows the Trump administration to hit back harder. Iran has vowed to respond. Though it understands the forces in play and is usually careful to calibrate its actions, the killing – coming months after the US killed Iran’s most powerful general, Qassem Suleimani – has highlighted its vulnerability. This is a dangerous moment.
The real problem, however, is not the actions of the last few days, but of the last four years. Mr. Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – the Iran nuclear deal – despite Iranian compliance, and since then has done all he can to destroy it. From a combination of ideology and, in Mr. Trump’s case, a narcissism and vindictiveness that made him determined to dismantle his predecessor’s signature achievement, the administration has undermined Iran’s moderates, including the president, Hassan Rouhani, and strengthened the hardliners. The damage has been compounded by actions such as approving the sale of nuclear technology to Iran’s great foe, Saudi Arabia.
The message Mr. Trump sent was that the US is both untrustworthy and unreliable and that any agreement is likely to be temporary and to rest upon the president’s whim. That Mr. Biden will be regarded as a more predictable player may affect short-term calculations; but in the longer term, other countries see the US as fundamentally less dependable. These lessons will be heeded not only by Tehran but by others; notably Pyongyang.
The E3 – UK, France, and Germany – have battled to hold the line against intense US pressure and done all they can to shore up the JCPOA. This has only limited the damage. Iran has steadily been breaching its commitments in the deal, in what it portrays as a response to US betrayal and an attempt to increase support from the other JCPOA signatories. Creating a roadmap to bring Iran and the US back into line with the original agreement would be helpful.
But Mr. Biden is not inaugurated until 20 January. The screws are still tightening on the Iranian economy. We already know that Mr. Trump mooted the possibility of an attack on nuclear facilities, but was warned off by aides. He has since reportedly given his advisers the go-ahead to turn up the pressure as long as they don’t “start world war three”. Some hope that the Israeli Defence Forces and Pentagon could slow roll any especially dangerous initiatives. But the risk is real that the harm is done since 2016 could soon be magnified. Though Mr. Trump’s departure is a cause for relief, it cannot come soon enough.
As any dramatist could tell you when can be as important as what. The assassination of the Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh last week was a reckless and provocative act, tagged as a potential breach of international law not only by the UN rapporteur on extrajudicial killings but also by the former CIA chief John Brennan. Though no one has claimed responsibility, US officials have indicated that the killing is the work of Israel; previous assassinations of nuclear scientists have been attributed to Mossad.
What is truly striking is the timing. Fakhrizadeh was a top target, but the last such killing was in 2012, and the Obama administration had warned Israel off other hits. It is hard to believe it is a coincidence that this took place as Donald Trump prepares to reluctantly leave the office. As such, it appears to have less to do with events in Iran than with politics in the US and indeed Israel, where Benjamin Netanyahu is looking once more to his electoral prospects. The real damage done is not to the Iranian nuclear program, but to diplomacy. The suspicion is that the intent is to provoke a reaction that the president-elect, Joe Biden, might feel unable to ignore, making his plans for a return to the nuclear accord even tougher – or, worse still, which allows the Trump administration to hit back harder. Iran has vowed to respond. Though it understands the forces in play and is usually careful to calibrate its actions, the killing – coming months after the US killed Iran’s most powerful general, Qassem Suleimani – has highlighted its vulnerability. This is a dangerous moment.
The real problem, however, is not the actions of the last few days, but of the last four years. Mr. Trump withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – the Iran nuclear deal – despite Iranian compliance, and since then has done all he can to destroy it. From a combination of ideology and, in Mr. Trump’s case, a narcissism and vindictiveness that made him determined to dismantle his predecessor’s signature achievement, the administration has undermined Iran’s moderates, including the president, Hassan Rouhani, and strengthened the hardliners. The damage has been compounded by actions such as approving the sale of nuclear technology to Iran’s great foe, Saudi Arabia.
The message Mr. Trump sent was that the US is both untrustworthy and unreliable and that any agreement is likely to be temporary and to rest upon the president’s whim. That Mr. Biden will be regarded as a more predictable player may affect short-term calculations; but in the longer term, other countries see the US as fundamentally less dependable. These lessons will be heeded not only by Tehran but by others; notably Pyongyang.
The E3 – UK, France, and Germany – have battled to hold the line against intense US pressure and done all they can to shore up the JCPOA. This has only limited the damage. Iran has steadily been breaching its commitments in the deal, in what it portrays as a response to US betrayal and an attempt to increase support from the other JCPOA signatories. Creating a roadmap to bring Iran and the US back into line with the original agreement would be helpful.
But Mr. Biden is not inaugurated until 20 January. The screws are still tightening on the Iranian economy. We already know that Mr. Trump mooted the possibility of an attack on nuclear facilities, but was warned off by aides. He has since reportedly given his advisers the go-ahead to turn up the pressure as long as they don’t “start world war three”. Some hope that the Israeli Defence Forces and Pentagon could slow roll any especially dangerous initiatives. But the risk is real that the harm is done since 2016 could soon be magnified. Though Mr. Trump’s departure is a cause for relief, it cannot come soon enough.
With the way the world is heading, I think Iran will be next on the chopping block. Trump already soured relations with Iran via the killing of the General and the Nuclear Deal and aligned himself closer to Israel. Joe Biden will continue on this path and eventually, I think things will bubble over as no peace deal can repair the mistrust and sabotage that has been done to Iran for the last few decades.
the middle east is already lost, the heavy weights are either neutralized or puppet states.
the are a few things capable of destroying the region, the monarchies drain their oil reserves, iran goes suicidal and israel declaring coventional warfare ( which means israel and the west vs the middle east).
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