Iran's most prominent nuclear scientists Mohsen Fakhrizadeh assassinated

 Irani media points finger at Israel for nuclear scientist's killing 

The most prominent Irani nuclear scientists Mohsen Fakhrizadeh has been assassinated near Irani capital Tehran. The assassins  attacked his car with guns and bomb. Fakhrizadeh's bodyguard was reportedly killed. The high-level nuclear scientist is referred to as "Iran’s Robert Oppenheimer" and is known as the "father" of Iran's nuclear programme.

Iran's defence ministry that top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh has been assassinated.According to reports, Fakhrizadeh's assassination took place in Absard in Tehran Damavand county. 

"Unfortunately, the medical team did not succeed in reviving (Fakhrizadeh), and a few minutes ago, this manager and scientist achieved the high status of martyrdom after years of effort and struggle," Iran's armed forces said in a statement.

Terrorists reportedly bombed a car before opening fire at Fakhrizadeh's car. Iranian media reported Fakhrizadeh died of injuries in hospital after armed assassins fired at his car.

Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javed Zarif condemned the nuclear scientist's assassination as a "terrorist act".

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but some Iranian officials said they believe Israel played a role. "Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientists today," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter. "This cowardice — with serious indications of Israeli role — shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators."

The Israeli government had no immediate comment on Fakhrizadeh's killing.

In April 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had mentioned the scientist when discussing Iran's nuclear program. "Remember that name, Fakhrizadeh," he said, while announcing that the Israeli spy agency Mossad had stolen documents from Iran about its covert nuclear activities.

Fakhrizadeh, a professor of physics at Imam Hussein University in Tehran, was the former head of Iran's Physics Research Center.

But a senior U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity said the killing has raised concerns of blowback from Iran against U.S. forces in the region, especially in Iraq, where U.S. forces already have faced attacks from Iranian-backed militias. President Trump raised the possibility of an attack on Iran recently with military and other senior officials, some of whom pushed back on the idea for fear of retaliation against U.S. troops in the region.

                                                             Khalid Bhatti