TEHRAN – An Iranian court has sentenced three individuals to death for their roles in the 2020 assassination of distinguished Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, according to a statement from Iran’s Judiciary. 

On Wednesday, the Judiciary of Iran’s northwestern province of West Azerbaijan announced that four individuals were prosecuted in two distinct cases for espionage activities linked to the Israeli regime and its intelligence agency, Mossad. 

The statement indicated that three out of the four defendants operated under the guidance of Tel Aviv, taking a critical role in transferring equipment essential for the assassination of the late scientist Fakhrizadeh. The other defendant has not been linked to Fakhrizadeh’s case. 

The statement confirmed earlier remarks by a spokesperson for Iran's judiciary, who said the death penalties were issued after a "thorough investigation," adding that the case is presently under appeal.

Asghar Jahangir said the Israeli regime continues to engage in efforts aimed at identifying and targeting Iranian scientists and that Iran’s security forces are actively monitoring "espionage elements".

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was martyred in an Israeli assault on Nov. 27, 2020, while traveling in a vehicle in a small city east of Tehran. 

Following the attack, Brigadier General Ali Fadavi, deputy commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), revealed that a sophisticated satellite-controlled machine gun powered by artificial intelligence was utilized in the assassination.

The martyrdom of Fakhrizadeh emphasized a trend of Israeli terrorism targeting pivotal figures in Tehran's civilian nuclear program. 

From 2010 to 2020, Iran witnessed the assassination of six notable nuclear scientists and researchers in Israeli attacks. Masoud Ali-Mohammadi, Majid Shahriari, Darioush Rezaeinejad, and Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, are all victims of Israeli terrorism alongside Fakhrizadeh. One failed assassination attempt has also been recorded against Freydoon Abbasi.