At least 14 Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed in a series of Israeli attacks since Friday, including car bombings, according to two sources in the Persian Gulf. The IDF released the names of nine of the scientists on Saturday, identifying them as key figures in Iran’s nuclear program and successors to Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a prominent scientist widely regarded as the “father of the Iranian nuclear project,” who was assassinated by Israel in 2020.
The IDF said that the eliminations were part of a meticulously planned operation, supported by extensive intelligence gathered over several years. “The elimination of the scientists was made possible following in-depth intelligence research that intensified over the past year, as part of a classified and compartmentalized IDF plan,” the military said.
Among the scientists killed were Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a theoretical physicist and president of the Islamic Azad University of Iran, and Fereydoun Abbasi, a former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and a nuclear physicist who previously survived a 2010 bomb attack in Tehran. Both were described by Iran’s Tasnim news agency as “major nuclear scientists” with significant roles in the country’s nuclear research.
Tehranchi was listed by the U.S. Department of State in 2020 for activities contrary to national security interests, while Abbasi had conducted nuclear research for Iran’s defense ministry.
The strikes follow a pattern of targeted operations attributed to the Mossad, which has been linked to the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists since 2007.
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, killed in a sophisticated attack involving a remote-controlled, AI-assisted machine gun in November 2020, was a high-profile target due to his leadership of Iran’s covert nuclear weapons program, known as the Amad Plan.
Just hours before Israel’s attacks began, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), declared Iran non-compliant with nonproliferation efforts.
The assassination of nuclear scientists, including the 2020 killing of Fakhrizadeh, has historically aimed to delay Iran’s nuclear progress. According to a 2021 report, Fakhrizadeh’s death was estimated to have set Iran’s nuclear program back by extending the timeline for achieving a nuclear bomb from three-and-a-half months to two years. The recent strikes may further hinder Iran’s ability to reconstitute its nuclear expertise, though the long-term impact remains uncertain – unless Israel completely destroys its nuclear program through military strikes.
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One Response
Israel obviously has had great intelligence information regarding the locations of the the high-ranking scientists and generals, etc. When I discussed this matter with my friend, he responded with the following, “Who do you think is the largest single employer in Iran?” I said, “I don’t know.” He said, “The Mossad. The political leadership in Iran is repressive and very unpopular among the Iranians.”
The list of Iranian leaders recently eliminated by Israel include Hossain Salami, Mohammed Pastrami, Welli-donee Roastbeefzadeh, Potato Knishian, Ali Healthi Saladi, Ghol Slawi, Aliradishi N. Potato Salidi, Daoud Tongdeli, and Amir Cornedbeefi. I got hungry just typing the list. Rest in peas, boychiks!
The Beach Boys performed a song in 1965 which I have rewritten below. Bomb, bomb, bomb, Bomb, bomb Iran. Bomb, bomb, bomb, Bomb, bomb Iran. Bomb, bomb, bomb, Bomb, bomb Iran. Bomb Iran into the sand. Bomb Iran into the sand. We’ll be rockin’ and a bombin’ Rockin’ and a bombin’ Bomb Iran, bomb bomb, Bomb, bomb Iran.