Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has accused the US and Israel of being behind the murder of nuclear physicist Mohsen Fachrisadeh. „Once again, imperialism and its Zionist mercenaries caused bloodshed and the death of an Iranian scientist,“ said Rouhani on state television today. The „terrorist attack“ only shows the fear of Tehran’s enemies about the technological progress of the Islamic Republic. However, the murder will not prevent the country from pursuing Fachrisadeh’s path even more consistently, said the president.
Fachrisadeh was shot in his car yesterday in Absard, an eastern suburb of the capital Tehran, and was so badly injured that he died shortly afterwards in a hospital. The Ministry of Defense in Tehran spoke of a „martyr’s death“. The nuclear physicist was a member of the Revolutionary Guard and an expert in the manufacture of rockets. Most recently he headed the research department in the Ministry of Defense.
The „New York Times“ reported that a US representative and two intelligence officials had stated that Israel was behind the attack. It is unclear whether the US government was informed beforehand, but both states are closest allies. There were reports in US media that a US naval unit had been relocated to the Persian Gulf, which was justified with the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.
UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres urged moderation after the attack. „We call for restraint and see it as necessary to avoid measures that could lead to an escalation of tensions in the region,“ said a UN spokesman.
