Top Iranian Nuclear Scientist Shot Dead

A top nuclear scientist in Iran, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was shot dead.

Prior to his death, Fakhrizadeh served as the Head of Research and Innovation of an organisation of the Iran defense ministry, leading the nuclear weapons project in the department.

Fakhrizadeh nuclear plans had been revealed by the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, in 2018.

He had accused Iran of lying about not being involved in a "nuclear weapons program".

Fakhrizadeh's death was disclosed by the Iranian defence ministry on Friday, in a statement.

It was revealed that he died at the hospital after his vehicle had been attacked by gunmen and was injured.

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The statement read, “The ministry announced that the vehicle Fakhrizadeh was travelling in was attacked by armed terrorists in the afternoon on Friday (November 27, 2020).

“In the shootout between Fakhrizadeh’s bodyguards and the terrorists, the scientist was seriously wounded and taken to hospital.

“Unfortunately, the medical team’s efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, and he succumbed to his injuries.

“The defence ministry expressed condolences to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei as well as the Iranian nation on the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the head of the Research and Innovation Department of the ministry.”

Iran's foreign minister, Javad Zarif, hinted at Israel's possible role in the scientist's death, calling on the international community to "end shameful double standards".

He said, in a tweet, "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."