Assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists

Between 2010 and 2020, five Iranian nuclear scientists (Masoud Ali-Mohammadi, Majid Shahriari, Darioush Rezaeinejad, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, and Mohsen Fakhrizadeh) were killed in foreign-linked assassinations. Rezaeinejad was shot dead by gunmen on motorcycles, while Shahriari and Ahmadi Roshan were killed by explosives attached to their cars.^[1] Fereydoon Abbasi was also targeted in a car bombing, but survived.^[2]^[3]

The Iranian government accused Israel of complicity in the killings in order to disrupt Iran's nuclear program.^[1] In 2011 and 2012, Iranian authorities arrested a number of Iranians alleged to have carried out the assassination campaign on behalf of Mossad (the Israeli intelligence service). Western intelligence services and U.S. officials reportedly confirmed the Israeli connection.^[4]^[5]^[6] Israeli defense minister Moshe Ya'alon said: "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."^[7]

The assassination campaign was reportedly terminated in 2013 following diplomatic pressure from the United States, which was attempting to negotiate restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities.^[8]^[9] According to NBC, two US senior officials confirmed that the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) was "financed, trained, and armed by Israel" in killing Iranian nuclear scientists,^[10] although a Senior State Department Official later denied saying the MEK was not involved in the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists.^[11]^[12]

^ ^a ^b Vick, Karl; Klein, Aaron J. (13 January 2012). "Who Assassinated an Iranian Nuclear Scientist? Israel Isn't Telling". Time. Archived from the original on 24 February 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
^ Hasan, Mehdi (12 January 2012). "Iran's nuclear scientists are not being assassinated. They are being murdered". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
^ Meikle, James (12 January 2012). "Iran: timeline of attacks". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
^ Cite error: The named reference The Time was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Independent was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Koring, Paul (18 June 2012). "The undeclared war on Iran's nuclear program". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 6 December 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
^ Cite error: The named reference JP-Spiegel was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference independent_8aug2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference arutzsheva_7aug2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Rock Center with Brian Williams (6 December 2014). "Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran's nuclear scientists, U.S. officials tell NBC News". NBC News. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
^ "MEK will fight Iran regime from new Ashraf-3 base in Albania". The Washington Times. 26 July 2019.
^ "Background Briefing on an Announcement Regarding the Mujahedin-e Khalq". U.S. Department of State.

[Time-1] Vick, Karl; Klein, Aaron J. (13 January 2012). "Who Assassinated an Iranian Nuclear Scientist? Israel Isn't Telling". Time. Archived from the original on 24 February 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.

[Ahmadi-2] Hasan, Mehdi (12 January 2012). "Iran's nuclear scientists are not being assassinated. They are being murdered". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.

[Time_line-3] Meikle, James (12 January 2012). "Iran: timeline of attacks". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.

[The_Time-4] Cite error: The named reference The Time was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Independent-5] Cite error: The named reference Independent was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[undeclared-6] Koring, Paul (18 June 2012). "The undeclared war on Iran's nuclear program". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 6 December 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2013.

[JP-Spiegel-7] Cite error: The named reference JP-Spiegel was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[independent_8aug2015-8] Cite error: The named reference independent_8aug2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[arutzsheva_7aug2015-9] Cite error: The named reference arutzsheva_7aug2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[10] Rock Center with Brian Williams (6 December 2014). "Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran's nuclear scientists, U.S. officials tell NBC News". NBC News. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.

[:3-11] "MEK will fight Iran regime from new Ashraf-3 base in Albania". The Washington Times. 26 July 2019.

[:4-12] "Background Briefing on an Announcement Regarding the Mujahedin-e Khalq". U.S. Department of State.

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