News Iranian nuclear scientist assassinated in Iran
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This is the 6th Iranian nuclear scientist assassinated in Iran. AFAIK Iran has never retaliated and I don't think it will this time.
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Top Iranian nuclear scientist assassinated east of Tehran
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh known to be an architect of Iran's military nuclear programme
Mohsen Fahrizadeh is the architect of Iran's military nuclear programme (Social media)
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the architect of Iran’s military nuclear programme, has been assassinated east of Tehran, the Iranian defence ministry confirmed on Friday.
Iranian state media said the scientist was targeted at Absard city in Tehran province's eastern Damavand county, with "terrorists bombing a car before shooting at Mr Fakhrizadeh's car".
He was then taken to hospital, where he died.
"Unfortunately, the medical team did not succeed in reviving [Fakhrizadeh], and a few minutes ago, this manager and scientist achieved the high status of martyrdom after years of effort and struggle," Iran's armed forces said in a statement.
Unconfirmed images circulating online showed an abandoned black car with bullet holes in its windscreen. Blood is splattered on the road next to the vehicle.
"We will strike as thunder at the killers of this oppressed martyr and will make them regret their action," tweeted Hossein Dehghan, a military adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Hossein Salami, head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corp, tweeted: "The assassination of nuclear scientists is the most obvious violent confrontation of the imperialist system to prevent us from gaining access to modern science."
Fakhrizadeh became the face of Iran's nuclear ambitions when named in the International Atomic Energy Agency's 2015 "final assessment" of open questions about Iran's nuclear programme and whether it was aimed at developing a nuclear bomb.
The IAEA's report said that he oversaw activities "in support of a possible military dimension to [Iran's] nuclear programme" within the so-called AMAD Plan.
The assassination comes at a time of rising tensions, as Tehran has anticipated outgoing US President Donald Trump could lash out at Iran before his term ends on 20 January.
Reuters and the New York Times reported earlier this month that Trump had mulled options to attack Iran but held off from any military action.
Meanwhile, Middle East Eye this week reported that top Iranian general Esmail Qaani told Iran's proxies in Iraq to hold off from any attacks on US targets, fearing Trump could be spurred into launching a conflict.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently concluded a tour of Middle Eastern countries hostile to Iran.
It was widely reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined him in Saudi Arabia, where they met the hawkish Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Riyadh denied the meeting took place; Israeli officials neither confirmed or denied Netanyahu's visit.
Middle East Eye reported on Tuesday, before Fakhrizadeh's killing, that Mohammed bin Salman was reluctant to accede to demands from Netanyahu to agree to an attack on Iran.
“In the meeting Netanyahu was advocating hitting Iran. Pompeo did not commit either way,” a Saudi source told MEE.
Fakhrizadeh was mentioned by name by Netanyahu when the Israeli prime minister made a 2018 speech detailing an archive of nuclear plans stolen from Iran
"Remember that name, Fakhrizadeh," Netanyahu said.
In the same speech, the Israeli premier said the scientist had continued to work on "special projects" at the Iranian defence ministry after his military nuclear outfit was closed.
Fakhrizadeh is the second top official Iran has lost to assassination this year. On 3 January, a US air strike in Baghdad killed Qassem Soleimani, a top general overseeing Tehran's foreign military ventures.
That killing led to soaring tensions, during which Iran responded with a volley of ballistic missiles against bases in Iraq hosting US soldiers.
Though no US soldiers were killed, a civilian aircraft carrying 172 passengers was mistakenly shot down by the Iranian military, which feared an American counterattack.
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For those who think Iran is going to retaliate openly, they will be disappointed. Iran will do everything in its power to not get directly involved in an armed conflict or war as long as Trump is in the white-house. These are the best times for the opponents of Iran to target it.
Another thing that contributes to Iran not willing or able to retaliate in any meaningful way is that they are still building up their military deterrence around Israel. Ultimately Iran wants Israel to do away with itself and Iran will try to achieve that by a long and slow suffocation and surrounding of Israel by proxies armed with all kinds of sophisticated weaponry, instead of an all out war.
Another thing that contributes to Iran not willing or able to retaliate in any meaningful way is that they are still building up their military deterrence around Israel. Ultimately Iran wants Israel to do away with itself and Iran will try to achieve that by a long and slow suffocation and surrounding of Israel by proxies armed with all kinds of sophisticated weaponry, instead of an all out war.
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Nobody thinks that Iran can retaliate. We saw what happened after the assassination of Qassem Suleymani. Not the first Iranian scientist that got assassinated nor will be the last.
RIP to him.
Reviewbrah
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RIP
Netanyahu did a presentation on him
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It always puzzles me that Iranians can never find any evidence linking to Israel. I am sure same will be in this case.
For example when Mossad killed Mabhouh in UAE they immediately found tons of evidences.
Assassination of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh - Wikipedia
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I think that's where the charm is. It's either MOSSAD are to good or the Iranian security forces especially the counter-intelligence departments are to incompetent to do their job.It always puzzles me that Iranians can never find any evidence linking to Israel. I am sure same will be in this case.
For example when Mossad killed Mabhouh in UAE they immediately found tons of evidences.
Assassination of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Reviewbrah
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It always puzzles me that Iranians can never find any evidence linking to Israel. I am sure same will be in this case.
For example when Mossad killed Mabhouh in UAE they immediately found tons of evidences.
Assassination of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh - Wikipedia
33 people to kill one person with a pillow?
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T
An assassination won't bring any harm Iran's nuclear program and know-how. İsrael made physcological attack.
