TEHRAN, 28 November 2020, (TON): An Iranian top nuclear scientist, long suspected by the West of masterminding a secret atomic weapons programme, was assassinated near Tehran on Friday, Iranian state media reported.

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh died of injuries in hospital after armed assassins fired on his car, according to Iranian media.

Iran has long denied seeking to weaponise nuclear energy but Fakhrizadeh has long been suspected by Western, Israeli as a mastermind behind atomic bomb programme.

Iran’s armed forces said “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,”

Fakhrizadeh has been the rare distinction of being the only Iranian scientist named in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 2015 “final assessment” of open questions about Iran’s nuclear programme.

Iran's Foreign Minister Javed Zarif condemned the move, hinted at the possibility of Israeli involvement in the attack.

In a tweet he said "Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today. This cowardice—with serious indications of Israeli role—shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators," while calling upon the international community "to end their shameful double standards & condemn this act of state terror."

Meanwhile, state television described Fakhrizadeh as “country's nuclear scientists having had an old and deep enmity of Israel towards him.”

Iran's armed forces chief of staff called Fakhrizdeh's death “a bitter and heavy blow to the country's defence system” and warned of “severe revenge” for those behind it.

Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri said in a tweet that “We assure (Iranians) that we will not rest until we have chased and punished” those involved.  

Earlier this month, the US authorities confirmed that Trump plans to carry out a possible strike on Iran however, Trump decided against it. Now, it may be an altered version of the plan perceived to target Iran nuclear programme. As the recent high-level visits by US officials to Israel “raised flags something being cooked up” to “provoke Iran & complicate for Bidden to return to diplomacy with Tehran.