Iran has blamed Israel for the assassination – a claim Israel has neither denied nor confirmed. France, Germany and the UK (known as the E3) warned Iran that it was limiting the space for diplomacy by threatening to commit further breaches of the nuclear deal after Fakhrizadeh’s killing. Mr Fadavi said the gun used to kill Fakhrizadeh had been placed on a pickup truck and controlled by a satellite, and had fired 13 shots. Fakhrizadeh, identified by Israel as a prime player in what it says is a continuing Iranian quest for a nuclear weapon, was the fifth Iranian nuclear scientist killed in targeted attacks since 2010 inside Iran. A power struggle is under way in Tehran, in which hardliners are demanding Iran reduce its commitment to the nuclear deal in response to the attack.

Source: The Irish Times December 08, 2020 12:00 UTC