Nuclear physicist killed: Iran chases four men after killing nuclear physicist

After the fatal attack on Iranian nuclear physicist and missile expert Mohsen Fachrisadeh, Iran is said to be looking for four suspected suspects. The tweeted Iranian journalist Mohamed Ahwaze, who lives in London, late Sunday evening.

Israeli media taped early Monday morning and reported that Iranian intelligence agents were distributing photos of the four men to hotels across the country and demanding that they report immediately if anyone recognized the men. According to journalist Ahwaze, border controls with northern Iraq have also been tightened. The four men are believed to have tried to escape Iran in this way.

Almost simultaneously, the Iranian news agency Fars reported that the identity of the attackers was known to the Iranian secret services. The information will soon be shared with the public.

63-year-old atomic physicist Fachrisadeh was killed on Friday in a suburb of Tehran. The Iranian leadership blames “local mercenaries” of the US and Israel for the attack.

Fachrisadeh was buried on Monday in the capital Tehran. The ceremony was broadcast live on state television. Due to the crown crisis, only family members of the physicist and high-ranking generals were allowed to attend the funeral.

“Our enemies know that no crime in Iran will go unanswered and unpunished,” Defense Minister Amir Hatami said in praise. The “terrorists” should also know that being a martyr in Iran is an honor. The fatal attack will not stop the progress of the Iranian nuclear program, as Fachrisadeh’s path will be continued “even more consistently” by Iranian scientists.

Hardliners in the country are demanding revenge for the murder of the nuclear physicist. Your spokesperson, the Kejhan newspaper, even calls for a military attack on the Israeli port city of Haifa. President Hassan Ruhani, however, warns against a drastic reaction, as this is exactly what the attackers wanted to do to provoke a new conflict with Iran.

“We already knew in advance that the last few weeks could be difficult for our enemies and that they would do everything possible to prevent any change in world politics,” said President Ruhani. By “enemies” he means US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the last few weeks missing from Trump’s departure and Joe Biden taking office on January 20, 2021.

For Trump, his entire Middle Eastern strategy is at stake, which involves a reorganization of the region including the strengthening of Israel and the suppression of Iranian influence. After his electoral defeat, Trump asked the US media about options for military action against Iran. Tehran interpreted this as Trump’s attempt to block any rapprochement between a Biden government and Ruhani’s team in advance. “The assassination of Fachrisadeh shouldn’t hinder Iran’s war potential, it should hinder diplomacy,” tweeted former director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Mark Fitzpatrick, a US expert on nuclear non-proliferation.

The great hope of Ruhani and his reformers is that the United States will return to the nuclear deal under Biden. “This is an opportunity that we shouldn’t miss,” warns the president. Because then Iran could free itself from the constraints of US sanctions and would have the opportunity to overcome the severe economic crisis. This is in the national interest and should not be challenged for internal and party political considerations, Ruhani says.

But it will be difficult for Ruhani to convince hardliners and especially the powerful Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) of his ideas. In addition to revenge, hardliners also have long-term goals in mind: in Iran, a new president will be elected on June 18, 2021. Ruhani cannot run again after two terms. Who will be his successor also depends on the future US foreign policy.