In a dramatic operation, Iranian top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh and a brigadier general in the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was assassinated on the outskirts of Tehran on Friday triggering a new crisis in West Asia.
In one of the most high profile assassinations, unknown operators killed Iran’s topmost nuclear scientist near the city of Absard. The killing of Fakhrizadeh is the latest in the serious high-profile assassinations of people belonging to Iranian regime since the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani. Solemani, who commanded the Quds Force of the IRGC, was killed by the US forces in January this year in Baghdad.
According to ELINT News, an independent organisation that covers geostrategic developments in the region and London-based journalist M Majed, the initial assessment of the assassination by Iranians revealed that a squad of 62 members participated in the assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.
The Iranian leaks said that at least 12 of them participated in the field to carry out the operations, 50 other elements provided the field team with logistical support to carry out the assassination. The Iranian intelligence estimates that all the members of the team that carried out the assassinations of Fakhrizadeh entered special training courses, as well as security and intelligence services abroad.
“2- According to the leaked Iranian info, a squad of 62 members participated in the assassination of Fakhrizadeh, 12 of them participated in the field to carry out the operations, 50 other elements provided the field team with logistical support to carry out the assassination” https://t.co/hW5u22h9n9
— ELINT News (@ELINTNews) November 29, 2020
According to Majed, a leaked Iranian data of the Fakhrizadeh assassinations revealed that the assassination team that carried out the field operations used a Hyundai Santa Fe, a Nissan and four motorcycles to kill scientist Fakhrizadeh.
The special operations team, whose identity is yet to be known, had confirmed intel about the exact date and course of the movement of the Fakhrizadeh protection convoy. The assassination team had documented even the smallest details about how Fakhri Zadeh would travel on this day at this specific hour to his private villa in the city of Absard.
“4- The team knew exactly the date & course of the movement of the Fakhrizadeh protection convoy in the smallest details, & had documented information that Fakhri Zadeh would go on this day & at this specific hour to his private villa in the city of Absard” https://t.co/et0ziVuZoL
— ELINT News (@ELINTNews) November 29, 2020
To execute their attacks, the assassination team cut off the electricity from this area half an hour before the arrival of the Fakhri Zadeh convoy to the specific location. A Hyundai Santa Fe with four passengers, four motorcycles, two snipers, and a bomb-filled Nissan car were waiting.
Apparently, Fakhrizadeh’s convoy consisted of three bulletproof cars. The assassination team waited for the first bulletproof car to pass from the entrance of the city of Absard and waited for the second car that carried Fakhrizadeh. They soon opened fire and the booby-trapped Nissan car was detonated on the third vehicle.
After the car bomb was detonated, 12 operatives opened fire towards Fakhrizadeh’s car and the first protection vehicle. According to Iranian leaks, the leader of the assassination team took Fakhri Zadeh out of his car and shot him to make sure he was killed.
“8- When some of the wounded, members of Fakhrizadeh protection, were transported to the emergency services near the site of operations, they were surprised by the power outages in these emergency services, and then they were transferred to hospitals in the capital, Tehran.” https://t.co/kWCcLJdpM8
— ELINT News (@ELINTNews) November 29, 2020
The wounded soldiers and the security personnel of Fakhrizadeh protection team were soon transported to the emergency services near the site of operations, However, they were surprised by the power outages in these emergency services. They were then transferred to hospitals in the capital, Tehran.
According to Majdeh, none of the twelve elements who participated in the field operations of the Fakhri Zadeh assassinations were wounded or arrested.
Iran believes Israel behind the attacks, vows retaliation
Fakhrizadeh, according to the US and Israel, was the head of Iran’s nuclear weapons programme in the 1990s and early 2000s. He had remained a key figure in the country’s nuclear programme, which has time-and-again has tried to develop nuclear weapons.
Following the assassination of Fakhrizadeh, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zariff has said there are ‘serious indications’ that Israel had carried out the attack. Reportedly, even US intelligence sources believe that the attack was carried out by Israel.
Interestingly, at least six Iranian scientists – Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, Majid Shahriyari, Fereydoun Abbassi-Davani, Darioush Rezai, Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan and Fakhrizadeh have been killed in various bomb and gun attacks in the past decade. Iran believes Israeli spy agency Mossad is responsible for the killing of their top scientists. ere suspected.
Meanwhile, Iran’s top leaders have called for a strong retaliation against Israel for the assassination of country’s top scientist.
In separate statements delivered Saturday, both Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani threatened an aggressive response to the killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh near Tehran.
“We will respond to the assassination of Martyr Fakhrizadeh in a proper time,” Rouhani said at a cabinet meeting on Saturday.
