Iranian nuclear scientist assassinated near Tehran

Tehran, SANA_ Iran’s Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics announced that Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhri Zadeh was assassinated near capital Tehran on Friday.

“Armed terrorists on Friday attacked a car carrying Head of the Research and Innovation Organization at the Ministry of Defense, and during the clash between his security team and the terrorists, the nuclear scientist was seriously wounded, and he was taken to hospital,” the Ministry said in a statement.

The statement added that “Unfortunately, the medical team did not succeed to save him.

Earlier, Fars News Agency reported that Fakhri Zadeh was assassinated in an explosion and shooting in Absurd in Damavand area near Tehran, adding that efforts are underway to try to save him and the other wounded with him.

Fakhri Zadeh is considered one of the most prominent and high-ranking Iranian nuclear scientist in the field of scientific research in the missile industry.

Speaker of the Iranian Shura Council, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, pledged revenge for the assassination of Fakhri Zadeh and said, “This will not go unpunished”.

For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif confirmed that the assassination of Fakhri Zadeh “is a cowardly act, and there are evidences proving the involvement of the Israeli entity in it”, describing the crime as terrorist act.

In a statement, Zarif called on the international community, especially the European Union, to “put an end to its double standard policy and condemn the state terrorism that targeted the scientist, Fakhri Zadeh.”

In turn, advisor for military affairs in the office of the leader of the revolution, Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan, vowed thunderbolt response to the assassination crime.

Manar Salameh/Gh.A.Hassoun