Assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists

Between 2010 and 2020, five Iranian nuclear scientists (Masoud Ali-Mohammadi, Majid Shahriari, Darioush Rezaeinejad, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, and Mohsen Fakhrizadeh) were killed in foreign-linked assassinations. Rezaeinejad was shot dead by gunmen on motorcycles, while Shahriari and Ahmadi Roshan were killed by explosives attached to their cars.[1] Fereydoon Abbasi was also targeted in a car bombing, but survived.[2][3]

The Iranian government accused Israel of complicity in the killings in order to disrupt Iran's nuclear program.[1] In 2011 and 2012, Iranian authorities arrested a number of Iranians alleged to have carried out the assassination campaign on behalf of Mossad (the Israeli intelligence service). Western intelligence services and U.S. officials reportedly confirmed the Israeli connection.[4][5][6] Israel neither confirmed nor denied its role in the assassinations.[7][8] Israeli defense minister Moshe Ya'alon said: "We will act in any way and are not willing to tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran. We prefer that this be done by means of sanctions, but in the end, Israel should be able to defend itself."[9] The assassination campaign was reportedly terminated in 2013 following diplomatic pressure from the United States, which was attempting to negotiate restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities.[7][8]

  1. ^ a b Vick, Karl; Klein, Aaron J. (13 January 2012). "Who Assassinated an Iranian Nuclear Scientist? Israel Isn't Telling". Time. Archived from the original on 24 February 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  2. ^ Hasan, Mehdi (12 January 2012). "Iran's nuclear scientists are not being assassinated. They are being murdered". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  3. ^ Meikle, James (12 January 2012). "Iran: timeline of attacks". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference The Time was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Independent was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Koring, Paul (18 June 2012). "The undeclared war on Iran's nuclear program". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 6 December 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference independent_8aug2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference arutzsheva_7aug2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference JP-Spiegel was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · View on Wikipedia

Developed by Nelliwinne