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The Iranian government accused [[Iran–Israel relations|Israel]] of being behind the killings.<ref name="Time"/><ref name="thwart"/> In 2011–12, the Iranian authorities arrested a number of Iranians it said had carried out the assassination campaign on behalf of [[Mossad]], the Israeli [[Intelligence agency|intelligence]] service. Western intelligence services and U.S officials are said to have confirmed the Israeli connection.<ref name="The Time"/><ref name="Independent"/><ref name="undeclared">{{cite web | url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/the-undeclared-war-on-irans-nuclear-program/article4210032/ | title=The undeclared war on Iran's nuclear program | work=[[The Globe and Mail]] | date=18 June 2012 | accessdate=12 April 2013 | last=Koring |first=Paul}}</ref><ref name="CBC"/> In June 2012, the Iranian government stated that it was confident it had arrested all the assassins.<ref name="thwart" /> |
The Iranian government accused [[Iran–Israel relations|Israel]] of being behind the killings.<ref name="Time"/><ref name="thwart"/> In 2011–12, the Iranian authorities arrested a number of Iranians it said had carried out the assassination campaign on behalf of [[Mossad]], the Israeli [[Intelligence agency|intelligence]] service. Western intelligence services and U.S officials are said to have confirmed the Israeli connection.<ref name="The Time"/><ref name="Independent"/><ref name="undeclared">{{cite web | url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/the-undeclared-war-on-irans-nuclear-program/article4210032/ | title=The undeclared war on Iran's nuclear program | work=[[The Globe and Mail]] | date=18 June 2012 | accessdate=12 April 2013 | last=Koring |first=Paul}}</ref><ref name="CBC"/> In June 2012, the Iranian government stated that it was confident it had arrested all the assassins.<ref name="thwart" /> |
||
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement, but [[Moshe Ya'alon]], the [[Ministry of Defense (Israel)|Israeli defence minister]], stated, "We will act in any way and are not willing to tolerate a [[Iran and weapons of mass destruction#Nuclear weapons|nuclear-armed Iran]]. We prefer that this be done by means of [[Sanctions against Iran|sanctions]], but in the end, Israel should be able to defend itself."<ref name=" |
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement, but [[Moshe Ya'alon]], the [[Ministry of Defense (Israel)|Israeli defence minister]], stated, "We will act in any way and are not willing to tolerate a [[Iran and weapons of mass destruction#Nuclear weapons|nuclear-armed Iran]]. We prefer that this be done by means of [[Sanctions against Iran|sanctions]], but in the end, Israel should be able to defend itself."<ref name="JP-Spiegel"/> The assassination campaign was reportedly terminated in 2013 following diplomatic pressure from the United States, which was at the time attempting to negotiate with Iran on restrictions to its nuclear activities.<ref name=independent_8aug2015/><ref name=arutzsheva_7aug2015/> |
||
According to private American intelligence firm [[Stratfor]], a fifth [[Science and technology in Iran|Iranian scientist]] was poisoned by Mossad in 2007.<ref name=xinhua_5feb2007/><ref name="Shahriari">{{cite news|last1=Borger|first1=Julia|last2=Kamali Dehghan|first2=Saeed|title=Covert war against Iran's nuclear aims takes chilling turn|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/05/iran-nuclear-experts-killings?intcmp=239|date=5 December 2010|accessdate=7 February 2016|work=The Guardian}}</ref> However, in 2014, the sister of the deceased accused the Iranian government itself of being behind her brother{{'}}s killing.<ref name="CNN"/> |
According to private American intelligence firm [[Stratfor]], a fifth [[Science and technology in Iran|Iranian scientist]] was poisoned by Mossad in 2007.<ref name=xinhua_5feb2007/><ref name="Shahriari">{{cite news|last1=Borger|first1=Julia|last2=Kamali Dehghan|first2=Saeed|title=Covert war against Iran's nuclear aims takes chilling turn|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/05/iran-nuclear-experts-killings?intcmp=239|date=5 December 2010|accessdate=7 February 2016|work=The Guardian}}</ref> However, in 2014, the sister of the deceased accused the Iranian government itself of being behind her brother{{'}}s killing.<ref name="CNN"/> |
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In early 2011, a young Iranian named Majid Fashi confessed on Iranian state television to the killing of Masoud Alimohammadi, saying that he had trained for the operation at a Mossad facility near [[Tel Aviv]]. Fashi was executed in May 2012. The same month, Iranian authorities announced the arrest of another 14 Iranians {{mdash}} eight men and six women {{mdash}} described as an Israeli-trained terror cell responsible for carrying out five of the attacks on Iranian scientists.<ref name="The Time"/> Iran's IRTV Channel 1 showed a half-hour documentary entitled ''Terror Club'' featuring "the televised confessions of the 12 suspects allegedly involved in the killings of Ali-Mohammadi, Shahriari, Rezaeinejad, and Roshan, and the attempted killing of Abbasi."<ref name="Time"/><ref name="Terror club">{{cite news|last1=Torbati|first1=Yeganeh|title=Iran airs "confessions" in killings of nuclear scientists|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-killings-idUSBRE8750M820120806|accessdate=21 March 2016|agency=[[Reuters]]|date=6 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Staff writers|title=Iran: Guarantee Rights of ‘Terror’ Suspects|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/22/iran-guarantee-rights-terror-suspects|website=Human Rights Watch|date=22 February 2013|accessdate=21 March 2016}}</ref> According to ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine, Western intelligence officials confirmed the cracking of two Mossad-backed espionage rings by Iranian intelligence.<ref name="The Time">{{cite news|last1=Vick|first1=Kar|title=Spy Fail: Why Iran Is Losing Its Covert War with Israel|url=http://world.time.com/2013/02/13/spy-fail-why-iran-is-losing-its-covert-war-with-israel/|date=13 February 2013|accessdate=14 March 2016|work=Time}}</ref> Officials within the Obama administration also reportedly confirmed Israeli involvement.<ref name="Independent"/><ref name="undeclared"/> According to [[Dan Raviv]], Mossad officials were "pissed off and shocked" to see their intelligence assets paraded on Iranian television.<ref name="CBC"/> After the arrests, Iran said it was confident it had arrested all those responsible for the attacks.<ref name="thwart"/> ''Time'' states that Iran attempted in 2012 to retaliate against Israel for the assassinations by launching up to 20 hastily organized attacks on Israeli diplomatic missions around the world, none of which were successful.<ref name="The Time"/> |
In early 2011, a young Iranian named Majid Fashi confessed on Iranian state television to the killing of Masoud Alimohammadi, saying that he had trained for the operation at a Mossad facility near [[Tel Aviv]]. Fashi was executed in May 2012. The same month, Iranian authorities announced the arrest of another 14 Iranians {{mdash}} eight men and six women {{mdash}} described as an Israeli-trained terror cell responsible for carrying out five of the attacks on Iranian scientists.<ref name="The Time"/> Iran's IRTV Channel 1 showed a half-hour documentary entitled ''Terror Club'' featuring "the televised confessions of the 12 suspects allegedly involved in the killings of Ali-Mohammadi, Shahriari, Rezaeinejad, and Roshan, and the attempted killing of Abbasi."<ref name="Time"/><ref name="Terror club">{{cite news|last1=Torbati|first1=Yeganeh|title=Iran airs "confessions" in killings of nuclear scientists|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-killings-idUSBRE8750M820120806|accessdate=21 March 2016|agency=[[Reuters]]|date=6 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Staff writers|title=Iran: Guarantee Rights of ‘Terror’ Suspects|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/22/iran-guarantee-rights-terror-suspects|website=Human Rights Watch|date=22 February 2013|accessdate=21 March 2016}}</ref> According to ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine, Western intelligence officials confirmed the cracking of two Mossad-backed espionage rings by Iranian intelligence.<ref name="The Time">{{cite news|last1=Vick|first1=Kar|title=Spy Fail: Why Iran Is Losing Its Covert War with Israel|url=http://world.time.com/2013/02/13/spy-fail-why-iran-is-losing-its-covert-war-with-israel/|date=13 February 2013|accessdate=14 March 2016|work=Time}}</ref> Officials within the Obama administration also reportedly confirmed Israeli involvement.<ref name="Independent"/><ref name="undeclared"/> According to [[Dan Raviv]], Mossad officials were "pissed off and shocked" to see their intelligence assets paraded on Iranian television.<ref name="CBC"/> After the arrests, Iran said it was confident it had arrested all those responsible for the attacks.<ref name="thwart"/> ''Time'' states that Iran attempted in 2012 to retaliate against Israel for the assassinations by launching up to 20 hastily organized attacks on Israeli diplomatic missions around the world, none of which were successful.<ref name="The Time"/> |
||
While Israel has never publicly confirmed or denied responsibility for the assassinations, Israeli officials have expressed a readiness to employ all necessary means in Israel{{'}}s defence.<ref name="thwart">{{cite news|last1=Staff writers|title=Iran 'thwarts Mossad attempt to assassinate nuclear scientist{{'-}}|url=http://on.rt.com/xyqj51|accessdate=9 February 2016|work=[[Russia Today]]|date=4 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="I24News">{{cite news|last1=Staff writers|title=Iran accuses Israel of killing nuclear scientists|url=http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/middle-east/56618-150104-iran-accuses-israel-of-killing-nuclear-scientists|accessdate=11 February 2016|publisher=[[i24news]] |date=1 April 2015}}</ref> Israeli defence minister [[Moshe Ya'alon]] stated in an interview with Germany's ''[[Der Spiegel]]'', "Ultimately it is very clear, one way or another, Iran's military nuclear programme must be stopped ... 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 |
While Israel has never publicly confirmed or denied responsibility for the assassinations, Israeli officials have expressed a readiness to employ all necessary means in Israel{{'}}s defence.<ref name="thwart">{{cite news|last1=Staff writers|title=Iran 'thwarts Mossad attempt to assassinate nuclear scientist{{'-}}|url=http://on.rt.com/xyqj51|accessdate=9 February 2016|work=[[Russia Today]]|date=4 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="I24News">{{cite news|last1=Staff writers|title=Iran accuses Israel of killing nuclear scientists|url=http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/middle-east/56618-150104-iran-accuses-israel-of-killing-nuclear-scientists|accessdate=11 February 2016|publisher=[[i24news]] |date=1 April 2015}}</ref> Israeli defence minister [[Moshe Ya'alon]] stated in an interview with Germany's ''[[Der Spiegel]]'', "Ultimately it is very clear, one way or another, Iran's military nuclear programme must be stopped ... 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." He added that he was not responsible "for the life expectancy of Iranian scientists."<ref name="JP-Spiegel">{{cite news|last1=Staff writers|title=Israel behind assassinations of Iran nuclear scientists, Ya'alon hints|url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran/Israel-behind-assassinations-of-Iran-nuclear-scientists-Yaalon-hints-411473#article=10373NUNGNTA2NjIyRjVDMTdGMTk0RDQ1MkQ5RjY1ODRGRjE=|accessdate=14 February 2017|work=The Jerusalem Post}}</ref> |
||
Israel has a history of targeting scientists working for hostile regimes on technologies capable of being weaponized. In the 1960s, in [[Operation Damocles]], [[Shin Bet]] sent parcel bombs to ex-Nazi rocket scientists working for Egyptian President [[Gamal Abdel Nasser|Nasser]].<ref name="Shahriari"/> Israel is also "widely believed" to have been behind the killing of scientists working for [[Saddam Hussein]] in the 1980s<ref name="Shahriari"/> and 1990s.<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite news|last1=Burleigh|first1=Michael|title=An informal addition to the laws of physics – don’t work for Iran|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/9010007/An-informal-addition-to-the-laws-of-physics-dont-work-for-Iran.html|accessdate=9 February 2016|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|date=12 January 2012}}</ref> |
Israel has a history of targeting scientists working for hostile regimes on technologies capable of being weaponized. In the 1960s, in [[Operation Damocles]], [[Shin Bet]] sent parcel bombs to ex-Nazi rocket scientists working for Egyptian President [[Gamal Abdel Nasser|Nasser]].<ref name="Shahriari"/> Israel is also "widely believed" to have been behind the killing of scientists working for [[Saddam Hussein]] in the 1980s<ref name="Shahriari"/> and 1990s.<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite news|last1=Burleigh|first1=Michael|title=An informal addition to the laws of physics – don’t work for Iran|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/9010007/An-informal-addition-to-the-laws-of-physics-dont-work-for-Iran.html|accessdate=9 February 2016|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|date=12 January 2012}}</ref> |
Revision as of 13:01, 14 February 2017
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Four Iranian nuclear scientists—Masoud Alimohammadi, Majid Shahriari, Darioush Rezaeinejad and Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan—were assassinated between 2010 and 2012. Another scientist, Fereydoon Abbasi, was wounded in an attempted murder.[1][2] Two of the killings were carried out using magnetic bombs attached to the targets' cars; Darioush Rezaeinejad was shot dead; and Masoud Alimohammadi was killed in a motorcycle bomb explosion.[3] The Iranian government accused Israel of being behind the killings.[3][4] In 2011–12, the Iranian authorities arrested a number of Iranians it said had carried out the assassination campaign on behalf of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service. Western intelligence services and U.S officials are said to have confirmed the Israeli connection.[5][6][7][8] In June 2012, the Iranian government stated that it was confident it had arrested all the assassins.[4]
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement, but Moshe Ya'alon, the Israeli defence minister, stated, "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 at the time attempting to negotiate with Iran on restrictions to its nuclear activities.[10][11]
According to private American intelligence firm Stratfor, a fifth Iranian scientist was poisoned by Mossad in 2007.[12][13] However, in 2014, the sister of the deceased accused the Iranian government itself of being behind her brother's killing.[14]
In January 2015, the Iranian authorities claimed to have thwarted another attempt by Mossad to assassinate an Iranian nuclear scientist.[4]
Timeline of the incidents
Date | Place [15] | Target | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
15 January 2007[16] | Ardeshir Hosseinpour | Died | |
12 January 2010[17] | Gheytariah street in front of Alimohammadi's house | Masoud Alimohammadi | Assassinated |
29 November 2010[18] | In the vicinity of Artesh Blvd. | Majid Shahriari | Assassinated |
29 November 2010[19] | Velenjak, in front of Shahid Beheshti University | Fereydoon Abbasi | Survived |
23 July 2011[20] | In front of his home[21] | Darioush Rezaeinejad | Assassinated |
11 January 2012[3] | Ketabi Sqr, Golnabi Street | Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan | Assassinated |
3 January 2015[4] | Unknown | Unknown | Thwarted[4] |
Events
15 January 2007
Ardeshir Hosseinpour reportedly died of gas poisoning from a supposed faulty heater,[12] though claims or suggestions have since been made of foul play.[16][22] It was reported by "US private intelligence" that he died because of "radioactive poisoning."[23]
12 January 2010
At 07:58 am, "a remote-controlled bomb attached to a motorcycle" parked near Masoud Alimohammadi's car exploded while he was leaving his home in the Gheytariyeh neighbourhood of northern Tehran to go to a university.[17] The windows of residences around the scientist's home were shattered by the force of the explosion, and it was reported that two other people were also injured in the blast. The jolt was so strong that the neighbors thought an earthquake had happened, according to the BBC.[17]
The assassination was reportedly done by Majid Jamali Fashi,[24][25][26] who had received training by Mossad in Tel Aviv according to his confessions, broadcast by Iranian television,[3] confirmed to be "genuine" by "Western intelligence officials."[25] "I woke up at 4 and made a call, the plan had not changed. I parked the motorbike near the tree," Jamali Fashi said in his confessions. Ali Mohammadi's wife said: "I heard the explosion just when I closed the door."[19]
According to Maziyar Ebrahimi, one of the perpetrators with the pseudonym Amiryal (Persian: "امیریل"), three teams were involved in the assassination of Alimohammadi. "Some of them were on their cars watching the situation and covering the area and I was in my car in a further place from the incident place waiting to take them away after the explosion was done," said Ebrahimi in his reported interrogations.[19]
"...they told me that he was getting out of the parking lot and I pressed the remote button when I saw him, and moved toward the car waiting for me in the alley. Then we moved away," said Arash Kerhadkish, with pseudonyms Farshid, Behzad and Aran, in his interrogations according to the Mehr News.[19]
29 November 2010
Unidentified assailants riding motorcycles launched bomb attacks, killing Majid Shahriari, a professor at Shahid Beheshti University.[18] The terrorists had attached bombs to the professor's cars and detonated them from a distance.[27]
"I attached the bomb to the right door of front row and moved away quickly," said Arash Kerhadkish convicted for assassinating Shahriari. One of the members of the assassination team riding on a motorcycle fell down due to the strength of the explosion wave. "...the motorcycle fell down and one of the riders was injured. We helped him," said a convicted member of the terror team, Maryam Izadi, in her interrogations. Shariari's wife, Ghasemi, was one of the passengers of the target car and was injured in the incident.[19]
In a separate simultaneous bomb attack, Fereydoon Abbasi, a professor at Shahid Beheshti University where Shahriari also taught, was injured. Abbasi's wife was also hurt in the incident.[18] "...I had a meeting with Dr. Shahriari at the early morning...The bomb was attached to my car at 7:42. We were around university square and I heard the sound of something colliding with my car and looked back and saw a motorbike. I concluded that that thing colliding with car was a bomb. I stopped at once and cautioned my wife to get off..." According to his wife, Abbasi was injured in his face and his hand.[19]
23 July 2011
Rezaeinejad was killed by motorcycle-riding gunmen in front of his home, while he was with his wife, Shohreh Pirani, after they had picked up their daughter, Armita, from kindergarten.[7] He was shot five times by unknown attackers.[20] The attack was described as "the first public operation by new Mossad chief Tamir Pardo," according to an "Israeli intelligence source" telling Der Spiegel.[20][28] His wife was also wounded in the attack.[29] "...I got off quickly and followed the shooter. After meters of running, I understood that they were shooting at me. I fell down and heard the motorcycle going away," said Rezaeinejad's wife, Shohreh Pirani.[19]
11 January 2012
Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan was assassinated using "a magnetized explosive" attached to the side of his car on his way to work "on the second anniversary" of Masoud Ali Mohammadi at 8:30 morning local time "in Shahid Golnabi street in Tehran's eastern area of Seyed Khandan."[30] Ahmadi Roshan was "a victim of Israel's Mossad," according to the "Western intelligence sources."[3] "In this location, we reached the car and attached the bomb to the car and the bomb exploded near the white fence...," said Arash Kerhadkish in his reported interrogations according to the Mehr News.[19]
Responsibility
While the assassinations were taking place, there was some speculation about the identity of those behind the killings. Though Israel's intelligence service Mossad was seen as the most likely candidate, other parties mentioned as possible instigators or participants included Iranian opposition groups such as the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), intelligence operatives from Arab countries opposed to the Iranian regime, or the United States.[6][14][31][32]
The Iranian regime itself blamed both Israel and the United States for the assassinations.[3] Hillary Clinton, at the time the US Secretary of State, categorically denied any U.S. role in the killings, a denial deemed "plausible" by commentators given the reported lack of U.S. intelligence assets within Iran.[32] Israel neither confirmed nor denied a role in the killings.[10][11]
In early 2011, a young Iranian named Majid Fashi confessed on Iranian state television to the killing of Masoud Alimohammadi, saying that he had trained for the operation at a Mossad facility near Tel Aviv. Fashi was executed in May 2012. The same month, Iranian authorities announced the arrest of another 14 Iranians — eight men and six women — described as an Israeli-trained terror cell responsible for carrying out five of the attacks on Iranian scientists.[5] Iran's IRTV Channel 1 showed a half-hour documentary entitled Terror Club featuring "the televised confessions of the 12 suspects allegedly involved in the killings of Ali-Mohammadi, Shahriari, Rezaeinejad, and Roshan, and the attempted killing of Abbasi."[3][33][34] According to Time magazine, Western intelligence officials confirmed the cracking of two Mossad-backed espionage rings by Iranian intelligence.[5] Officials within the Obama administration also reportedly confirmed Israeli involvement.[6][7] According to Dan Raviv, Mossad officials were "pissed off and shocked" to see their intelligence assets paraded on Iranian television.[8] After the arrests, Iran said it was confident it had arrested all those responsible for the attacks.[4] Time states that Iran attempted in 2012 to retaliate against Israel for the assassinations by launching up to 20 hastily organized attacks on Israeli diplomatic missions around the world, none of which were successful.[5]
While Israel has never publicly confirmed or denied responsibility for the assassinations, Israeli officials have expressed a readiness to employ all necessary means in Israel's defence.[4][35] Israeli defence minister Moshe Ya'alon stated in an interview with Germany's Der Spiegel, "Ultimately it is very clear, one way or another, Iran's military nuclear programme must be stopped ... 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." He added that he was not responsible "for the life expectancy of Iranian scientists."[9]
Israel has a history of targeting scientists working for hostile regimes on technologies capable of being weaponized. In the 1960s, in Operation Damocles, Shin Bet sent parcel bombs to ex-Nazi rocket scientists working for Egyptian President Nasser.[13] Israel is also "widely believed" to have been behind the killing of scientists working for Saddam Hussein in the 1980s[13] and 1990s.[32]
The assassination campaign against Iranian nuclear scientists was reportedly terminated in 2013, following pressure on Israel from the Obama administration to end the attacks while negotiations with Iran aimed at restricting its nuclear program continued.[8][10][11] Mossad officials are also said to have concluded that the attacks were "too dangerous" for their valuable intelligence operatives within Iran.[8] Mossad has since reportedly instructed its Iranian spy network to concentrate on finding evidence of Iranian breaches of its agreements to restrict its nuclear activities.[8]
In January 2015, Iranian authorities claimed to have thwarted another attempt by Mossad to assassinate an Iranian nuclear scientist.[4]
While Israel is thought to have been responsible for the assassination campaign against Iranian nuclear scientists carried out between 2010 and 2012, continuing uncertainty surrounds the 2007 death of Iranian scientist Ardeshir Hosseinpour. Hosseinpour was reported by Iranian authorities to have died from gas inhalation caused by a faulty heater,[12] but a six-day delay in the announcement raised suspicions outside Iran. The American private intelligence firm Stratfor asserted that Hosseinpour had been assassinated by Mossad by means of radiation poisoning, but Iranian officials denied this, declaring their scientists to be "safe."[12] In 2014, Hosseinpour's sister Mahboobeh accused the Iranian Revolutionary Guard of killing her brother for allegedly refusing to work on Iran's nuclear enrichment program. Mahboobeh said the information came from Ardeshir's widow.[16][22][36][37][23]
Reactions
The United States government condemned the assassinations, though without implicating any party.[14] Some American politicians however, took a different view. Former speaker of the House Newt Gingrich endorsed the idea of "taking out [Iranian] scientists," while presidential candidate Rick Santorum described the scientists' killings as "a wonderful thing."[14]
General Yoav Mordechai, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said he had "no idea who targeted the Iranian scientist but I certainly don't shed a tear."[14]
Writing in The Guardian, Mehdi Hasan said of the killings: "These 'men on motorbikes' have been described as 'assassins'. But assassination is just a more polite word for murder. ... how many more of our values will we shred in the name of security? Once we have allowed our governments to order the killing of ... fellow human beings, in secret, without oversight or accountability, what other powers will we dare deny them?"[1]
Historian Michael Burleigh compared the assassinations to the Allied bombing of Nazi V2 rocket sites during World War II, noting that the bombers "were not unduly concerned whether scientists and engineers were killed too, nor foreign slave labourers, provided the V2s ceased raining down on London." Burleigh argues that scientists are not merely abstract researchers but that there are "real world" consequences for their actions, and that he therefore "shall not shed any tears whenever one of these [Iranian] scientists encounters one of the unforgiving men on motorbikes ... Except that if Israel ventures down this road, I cannot think of much of an argument to prevent Iran following them, and then anyone else who decides to follow."[32]
The assassinations are said to have had a "chilling impact" on the Iranian scientific community itself, making it "more difficult for the regime to recruit anyone to national security research efforts," according to an unnamed Iranian official.[7]
Paul Koring notes that, regardless of their effectiveness, the assassinations have "left a real trail of grief," citing the testimony of Shorheh Pirani, widow of Darioush Rezaeinejad, who was gunned down in front of his wife and then five-year-old daughter Armita. A year after the assassination, Koring reported that Armita "still draws pictures of her father. In them, she and her mother always have their mouths open in terrified screams. 'Every day', Mrs Pirani said, 'she makes that painting.'"[7]
Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of Iran, condemned the attacks and said that the attacks were aimed at hindering Iranian scientific movement.[38]
See also
References
- ^ a b Hasan, Mehdi (12 January 2012). "Iran's nuclear scientists are not being assassinated. They are being murdered". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ Meikle, James (12 January 2012). "Iran: timeline of attacks". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g Vick, Karl; Klein, Aaron J. (13 January 2012). "Who Assassinated an Iranian Nuclear Scientist? Israel Isn't Telling". Time. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Staff writers (4 January 2015). "Iran 'thwarts Mossad attempt to assassinate nuclear scientist'". Russia Today. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ a b c d Vick, Kar (13 February 2013). "Spy Fail: Why Iran Is Losing Its Covert War with Israel". Time. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
- ^ a b c Cockburn, Patrick (6 October 2013). "Just who has been killing Iran's nuclear scientists?". The Independent. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Koring, Paul (18 June 2012). "The undeclared war on Iran's nuclear program". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Raviv, Dan (1 March 2014). "U.S. pushing Israel to stop assassinating Iranian nuclear scientists". CBS News. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
- ^ a b Staff writers. "Israel behind assassinations of Iran nuclear scientists, Ya'alon hints". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
- ^ a b c Buchanan, Rose Troup (8 August 2015). "Israeli defence minister says he is 'not responsible' for lives of Iranian nuclear scientists following historic US-Iran deal". Independent. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ a b c "Israel to Resume Assassinations of Iranian Nuclear Scientists?". ArutzSheva. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
{{cite news}}
: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|dead-url=
(help) - ^ a b c d "Tehran denies reports on scientist's "assassination"". Xinhua News Agency. 5 February 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2007.
- ^ a b c Borger, Julia; Kamali Dehghan, Saeed (5 December 2010). "Covert war against Iran's nuclear aims takes chilling turn". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Levs, Josh (11 January 2012). "Who's killing Iranian nuclear scientists?". CNN. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
- ^ "Terror table of Iranian nuclear scientists within last two years". Hamshahri Online. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- ^ a b c Friedson, Felice (30 September 2014). "Iranian Nuclear Physicist Killed by Revolutionary Guard, Not Israel: Sister". The Media Line. Archived from the original on 30 September 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|deadurl=
ignored (|url-status=
suggested) (help) - ^ a b c Cowell, Alan (12 January 2010). "Blast Kills Physics Professor in Tehran". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- ^ a b c Staff writers (29 November 2010). "Iranian nuclear scientist killed in motorbike attack". BBC News.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Broadcast of the details of the terror operations". Mehr News Agency (in Persian). 5 August 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
- ^ a b c "Israel behind killing of Iranian scientist - report". DAWN.COM. 2 August 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- ^ "Precise details of assassination of Rezaeinejad". Mashregnews (in Persian). Retrieved 13 February 2017.
- ^ a b "Iranian nuclear physicist killed by Revolutionary Guard, not Israel, relative claims". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
- ^ a b "Iran accused of assassinating its own nuclear scientist". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
- ^ "Iran death penalty for 'Israeli spy' Majid Jamali Fashi". 28 August 2011 – via www.bbc.com.
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- ^ "Iran hangs 'Mossad spy' Majid Jamali Fashi for killing scientist". The Independent. 16 May 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
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