Mohsen Fakhrizadeh and his bodyguard were attacked outside of Iran’s capital city while driving; Both Explosion(s) and gun shots are reported to have taken place; The Iranian foreign minister has declared this “an act of state terror.”
On Friday afternoon, Iran’s leading nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was assassinated while travelling in a sedan an hour and a half east of the capital city of Tehran. Some government intelligence agencies believe that Fakhrizadeh was involved in one of Iran’s secret nuclear programs. Though attacked while in his vehicle, at least one report claims that he later died at the hospital. His bodyguard was also killed.
Prior to gunshots penetrating the vehicle he was travelling in, the vehicle in front of him (likely a caravan) exploded.
Following the assassination, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif claimed that there is significant evidence that Israel’s Mossad is responsible for what took place. And while this may or may not be true, Israel is now on high alert for any possible Iranian retaliation.
It was back in 2018 that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while speaking to an audience concerning Iran and some of its special programs, stated, “Remember that name – Fakhrizadeh.”
Hours after the strike on Fakhrizadeh, US President Donald Trump retweeted a statement from a man named Yossi Melman stating, “Mohsen Fakhrizadeh has been assassinated in Damavand, east of Tehran according to reports in Iran. He was head of Iran’s secret military program and wanted for many years by Mossad. His death is a major psychological and professional blow for Iran.”
The Iranians have been long-exceeding the amount of enriched uranium allowed by the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran Nuclear Deal. And according to one western official, “If Iran ever chose to weaponize, Fakhrizadeh would be known as the father of the Iranian bomb.”
