Report: Iranian nuke scientist was killed by Israeli 1-ton automated gun
UK’s Jewish Chronicle, citing unnamed intel sources, claims Fakhrizadeh was hit by Mossad team without US involvement, says killing likely set back nuke weapons program by years
By TOI staff Today, 12:02 am Updated: 11
February 2021, 1:21 am
Top Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated in November by a Mossad team using a one-ton automated weapon that had been smuggled into Iran in pieces, according to a Wednesday report in London’s Jewish Chronicle.
The US was not involved in the operation, which may have set back the rogue Iranian nuclear weapons program by years, the report said.
The veracity of the report could not be independently confirmed.
Apparently based at least in part on unnamed Israeli sources, the report appeared timed to send a message both to Iran, which is openly breaching the 2015 P5+1 nuclear deal, and to the new US administration, which is planning to re-enter the deal, highlighting Israel’s oft-stated determination to take whatever action is necessary to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons.
Fakhrizadeh was killed on a road outside Tehran on November 27. Iran has blamed Israel for the hit.
The team that carried out the hit had over 20 members, both Israeli and Iranian nationals, the Jewish Chronicle reported, citing “intelligence sources.” At least some of those sources were evidently Israeli; one was quoted saying, “Thank God we got all our people out and they didn’t catch anyone. They didn’t even come close.”
The agents surveilled Fakhrizadeh for eight months before the assassination, the report claimed.
It said agents were on the ground at the time of the assassination to operate the gun from a distance.
Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. (Agencies)
The report claimed Fakhrizadeh was hit by a burst of 13 bullets from the “hyper-accurate” weapon, which did not injure his wife or 12 bodyguards who were traveling with him. Some of the numerous contradictory reports of the killing at the time, by contrast, claimed several of Fakhrizadeh’s bodyguards were also killed in the attack.
