Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the alleged head of Iran’s nuclear programme has been assassinated. Iran has blamed Israel for the killing.
He was shot dead on Friday with Iranian state media showing photos of a black sedan he had been travelling in, with shot out windows and bullet holes on the body of the vehicle.
On Twitter the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said: ‘Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today. This cowardice — with serious indications of Israeli role — shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators. Iran calls on int’l community — and especially EU — to end their shameful double standards & condemn this act of state terror.’
The incident will likely heighten tensions between the United States and Iran. There has been speculation that Donald Trump, in the twilight of his administration, may seek to attack Iran’s nuclear capabilities before he leaves office. Trump abandoned the deal between the US and Iran in 2018 and imposed sanctions on the country.
It is unknown how Iran will respond to this attack and how it may damage relations between it and the new Biden administration, which will come to power early next year.
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