Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for “definitive punishment” of those behind the assassination.

Iranian scientist killing could trigger serious confrontation with Israel. Here’s why

The killing of a high Iranian scientist may snowball right into a critical confrontation within the area because the Islamic Republic has vowed to avenge the loss of life. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran’s most senior nuclear scientist, was killed in an ambush close to Tehran on Friday, triggering robust reactions from nation’s high management.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday accused Israel of assassinating the scientist, who was lengthy suspected by the west of masterminding the key nuclear programme for the nation. “Once again, the wicked hands of the global arrogance, with the usurper Zionist regime as the mercenary, were stained with the blood of a son of this nation,” Rouhani mentioned in an announcement revealed on his official web site.

Iran’s supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has referred to as for “definitive punishment” of these behind the assassination of the scientist, calling Fakhrizadeh as “the country’s prominent and distinguished nuclear and defensive scientist.”

Hossein Dehghan, the navy adviser to Khamenei, vowed to “strike as thunder at the killers of this oppressed martyr”, suggesting Israel’s hand behind the assassination. Taking to Twitter, Dehghan mentioned that Israel seels to accentuate the strain on Iran for a “full-blown war” in the previous few days of the Trump administration.

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What is JCPoA or Iran nuclear deal?

The United States, Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France entered a cope with Iran in 2015, agreeing to offer sanctions reduction in lieu of stopping the nation from creating nuclear weapons. Later in 2018, US President Donald Trump introduced Washington’s withdrawal from that Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), calling it “the worst deal ever”.

Since then, the Trump administration has continued to impose sanctions on Tehran as part of its “maximum pressure” marketing campaign. However, US’ withdrawal prompted Iran to renege on its commitments made beneath the nuclear deal and escalated its uranium enrichment.

Also Read | Who is the Iranian scientist killed in Tehran?

Why is Iran suspecting Israel?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Iran of constant to hunt nuclear weapons and warned a few secret atomic warehouse. “Remember that name, Fakhrizadeh,” Netanyahu had mentioned in 2018, referring to the now slain scientist. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspected the alleged atomic warehouse web site in February 2019 and located traces of uranium. IAEA revealed a report on Iran’s nuclear actions and the implementation of its dedication beneath JCPoA.

The international watchdog reported that Iran has stockpiled greater than 12 occasions the quantity of enriched uranium permitted beneath the nuclear deal. The UN company noticed that the presence of a number of uranium particles of anthropogenic origin at a location not declared to it nonetheless must be absolutely and promptly defined by Iran to allay any potential considerations.

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