Weapons Used in Nuclear Scientist's Assassination Had Israeli Markings: Iran Media

The weapon that was used in assassinating Iran’s senior nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh reportedly has Israeli markings.

An informed source told Iranian state-controlled PressTV on Monday that the weapon collected at the site of Fakhrizadeh killing bears the logo and specifications of the Israeli military industry. The nuclear expert’s car was targeted by an explosion and machinegun fire in Damavand's Absard 40km to the East of Tehran on November 28 in broad daylight by assassins who came in a white SUV.

Blaming Israel for the attack, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted on Sunday: “Terrorists murdered a great Iranian scientist. This cowardice act has serious signs of Israel's role, illustrates the warmongering of its desperate authors. Iran calls on the world community including the EU to abandon double standards and condemn this state terrorism.”

On the 28th, Khamenei called Fakhrizadeh an "outstanding nuclear and military scientist" and vowed to "definitely punish the perpetrators and behind the scenes."

Conflicting versions are appearing about how the Iranian nuclear scientist was attacked at the scene

The Iranian Fars News Agency disclosed new details about the assassination of Fakhrizadeh, saying that the Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated by a remotely controlled machine gun. According to the report, on the morning of November 27, Fakhrizadeh and his wife rode in a bulletproof vehicle and were escorted by an armored convoy. During this period, the convoy drove to the front of Fakhrizadeh's vehicle to ensure that he reached his destination safely.

Then the gunfire sounded and Fakhrizadeh parked the car on the side of the road. He believed that the vehicle had malfunctioned. The bullets were fired from a remote-controlled machine gun on a Nissan car about 150 meters away. One of the bullets allegedly hit Fakhrizadeh's back.

"The whole incident lasted three minutes. There were no assailants at the scene and the bullets were fired with automatic weapons," a report said. The report also stated that the owner of the vehicle equipped with an automatic machine gun is no longer in Iran.

Earlier, The New York Times also reported the process of the attack, but it was different from the report of the Fars News Agency. The New York Times reported citing sources as saying that the abandoned Nissan car parked at the intersection was detonated. An armed squad of 12 gunmen appeared at the scene. Some were riding motorcycles and some others. Get out of the car parked nearby and shoot. They fired at least 3 shots at Fakhrizadeh and all 12 people fled the scene unscathed.

Between 2010 and 2012, four Iranian nuclear scientists (Masoud Alimohammadi, Majid Shahriari, Darioush Rezaeinejad and Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan) were assassinated, while another (Fereydoon Abbasi) was seriously wounded in an attempted murder.

Iran has always accused Israel of carrying out the attacks. Tel Aviv has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement, but Israeli defence minister Moshe Ya'alon had notably said in 2015: "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."

About Mohsen Fakhrizadeh

It is reported that Fakhrizadeh was born in Qom in 1958. He is Iran’s most famous nuclear scientist in the past ten years and has retained the senior rank of brigadier general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard.

Fakhrizadeh was reportedly the only Iranian scientist that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had cited in a program. He was introduced by Netanyahu during the unveiling of the Iran nuclear archives last year as the "father of the Iranian nuclear program."

He was allegedly in-charge of Iran's nuclear programme, Project 111, which the U.S. claims, is or was an attempt to create a nuclear bomb for Iran. The top nuclear scientist was also responsible for planning and acquiring parts for Iran's first uranium enrichment plant.