Iran accuses Israel of involvement in assassination of top Iranian scientist
Scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh has been assassinated.
© VIA REUTERS - WANA NEWS AGENC
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Iran has accused Israel of being involved in the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a top Iranian nuclear and military scientist, promising terrible revenge against those behind the action.
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Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed in a sophisticated operation in northern Tehran.
A pickup first exploded on the road, in front of her car, before she was targeted by heavy fire.
Mohammad Javad Zarif, the head of Iranian diplomacy, directly accused Israel of being involved in the assassination.
The name of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was mentioned in April 2018 by the Israeli Prime Minister in a televised intervention.
Benyamin Netanayhu accused him of being one of the top officials in Tehran's nuclear program.
"
Remember this name well: Fakrizadeh
", he had then launched.
The senior scientist was also on the United Nations sanctions list against Iran.
Netanyahu's concern
In recent days, the head of the Israeli government has made no secret of his concern that the future Biden administration will adopt a more open attitude to negotiations with Iran than the Trump administration, reports our correspondent in Jerusalem,
Guilhem Delteil
.
"
We must not go back to the 2015 agreement
," he said last Sunday in an unveiled message to the future American president.
Benyamin Netanyahu has always fought the Iran nuclear deal.
His concern is shared by the Gulf monarchies.
A few hours after his statement, the head of the Israeli government seems to have made a
rare secret visit to Saudi Arabia
to meet the crown prince, Mohamed Ben Salman, in the company of Mike Pompeo, the American secretary of state.
The three leaders share the same opposition to the Vienna agreement and Iran was certainly their main topic of discussion.
Multiple operations
The assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh can only strengthen the tough
guys
in Iranian power, warns our correspondent in Tehran,
Siavosh Ghazi
.
Indeed, operations against the Iranian nuclear program and officials are increasing.
In particular, there was the explosion about five months ago in the Natanz nuclear center.
Here again, Iranian officials blamed Israel but also the United States.
This assassination can also complicate the policy of the new US President Joe Biden, in favor of the return of the United States to the nuclear deal abandoned by Donald Trump, which has toughened sanctions against Iran.
"
Terrorist groups and those responsible and perpetrators of this cowardly attempt must know that a terrible revenge awaits them,
" tweeted Iranian Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Bagheri.
He called the death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh a "
bitter and heavy blow
", assuring that the Iranians "
will not have rest until we have hunted down and punished
" those involved.
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