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Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who has become the face of Iran’s controversial nuclear program, was killed on Friday in an apparent ambush in a neighborhood east of Tehran. Photos from the scene showed a broken car windshield and blood on the road.
“There are two things officials should put on their to-do list: 1- Track the atrocity and fight back against those responsible. 2- Follow the scientific and technical activities of Martyr Fakhrizadeh in all areas where he was active, ”Khamenei wrote on Saturday in a tweet from an account often attributed to him, making a veiled reference to the country’s nuclear activities.
He added: “Our distinguished nuclear scientist in the defense of our country, Mr. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed by the oppressive enemies. This rare scientific spirit lost his life for his immense eternal scientific work. He lost his life for God. and the supreme ruler. God will reward him greatly. “
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Saturday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said: “Iran’s think tanks and enemies must know that the Iranian nation and the country’s officials are courageous and determined to respond to the murder on time”.
Rouhani and other senior officials had previously accused Israel of orchestrating the murder, also vowing to retaliate.
In a statement released by the semi-official Fars news agency, Rouhani blamed Israel for the attack: “Once again, the dirty hands of the oppressors, together with the illegitimate Zionist regime, are stained with the blood of the one of the distinguished sons of this land and thus saddened the Iranian people for the loss of such a distinguished servant and scientist. “
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif on Friday described the murder as “cowardice – with serious indications of the Israeli role”.
Iran has provided no evidence of Israeli involvement. On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office declined to comment on CNN.
In April 2018, Netanyahu mentioned Fakhrizadeh by name when he unveiled a nuclear archive that he said Israeli agents smuggled out of Iran. He called him the leader of a secret nuclear project called Project Amad. “Remember that name, Fakhrizadeh,” Netanyahu told reporters.
Killing ‘a big deal’, says US official
Fakhrizadeh was the head of the New Technology Research Center among the elite Revolutionary Guards, and was a leading figure in Iran’s nuclear program for many years.
The murder could further fuel tensions between Tehran and Washington in the closing weeks of US President Donald Trump. US-Iran relations deteriorated rapidly during Trump’s presidency.
Iran began withdrawing from its commitments to the landmark 2015 nuclear deal in 2019, a year after Trump withdrew from the deal and unleashed crippling sanctions against the country.
Trump retweeted an article on Friday by leading Israeli journalist Yossi Melman, who wrote: “Fakhrizadeh-Mahabadi murdered in Damavand, east of Tehran according to reports in Iran. He was the head of the secret military program of the ‘Iran and wanted for many years by the Mossad, death is a major psychological and professional blow to Iran. “
The Mossad is Israel’s foreign intelligence agency.
The Trump administration said it was closely monitoring the apparent assassination. A US official told CNN the death “would be a big deal.”
Lebanese Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group, also condemned the murder. Hezbollah’s second in command, Naim Qassem, said agents from the United States and Israel were behind the assassination.
Fakhrizadeh is mentioned in numerous reports from the US State Department and the International Atomic Energy Agency as having extensive knowledge of Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
CNN’s Ramin Mostaghim reported from Tehran, Angela Dewan reported from London and Samantha Beech reported from Atlanta.
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