Iran’s top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh is ambushed and executed by Israeli officials. The attack comes just one week after Israel media reported that the country was working with the U.S. on a secret operation against Iran.
Gunmen waited along the road and attacked Mr. Fakhrizadeh as his car was driving through the countryside town of Absard, in the Damavand region, according to official Iranian media and state television. The state media accounts said that Mr. Fakhrizadeh had been gravely wounded in the attack, and that doctors tried to save him in the hospital but could not.
The New York Times
Donald Trump brags about the murder on Twitter, sharing a tweet that attempts to explain the significance of the attack.
The Trump Administration might be involved in the assassination. Israel has been this administration’s closest foreign ally, and Trump has made many efforts since 2017 to push Iran towards war. Just two weeks before, Trump asked about a military strike on Iran.
It was unclear how much the United States may have known about the operation in advance, but the two nations are the closest of allies and have long shared intelligence regarding Iran. The White House and the C.I.A. declined to comment.
The New York Times
Multiple foreign intelligence agencies confirm that Israel is responsible for the attack, but Iranians believe the U.S. is involved. After the news breaks, protesters in Iran take to the streets to demand retaliation against the United States.
Fakhrizadeh had been a target of Benjamin Netanyahu’s since at least 2018.
Former CIA Director John Brennan, aware of the risks we may face because of the attack, asks Iran to wait for the next administration to be in power before determining an appropriate response.
Sources
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-us-planning-to-pressure-a-fearful-iran-as-trumps-term-ends-report-says/
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/27/world/middleeast/iran-nuclear-scientist-assassinated-mohsen-fakhrizadeh.html
https://apnews.com/article/dubai-iran-united-arab-emirates-nuclear-weapons-israel-28d7c6e4abec1b82f2d2f3ad649bbe01
https://twitter.com/HadiNili/status/1332370572240711680?s=20
https://twitter.com/HadiNili/status/1332403802624962560?s=20
https://twitter.com/JohnBrennan/status/1332400792620462082
Photo: Public Domain