TEHRAN – A senior Iranian expert specialized in nuclear technology was assassinated in a terrorist attack on Friday afternoon. 

The assassination against Mohsen Fakhrizadeh took place in the Abe-Sard region of Damavand County, about 40 kilometers northeast of Tehran.  

The Fars new agency said the expert was assassinated by terrorists in his car.

The terrorists blasted a pickup - a Nissan sedan - laden with explosives on the way of the car carrying Fakhrizadeh and then started shooting at his car and security guards.

Zarif says “serious indications of Israeli role” seen in terror 

Iran holds Israel responsible for the terrorist act.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged the international community, especially the European Union, to condemn this heinous crime and step exercising “shameful double standards”.
 
“Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today. This cowardice—with serious indications of Israeli role—shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators,” Zarif tweeted.

“Iran calls on int'l community—and especially EU—to end their shameful double standards & condemn this act of state terror,” the foreign minister asserted.

Fars also reported that three to four terrorists were killed in the armed clash.

Fakhrizadeh was the only scientist whose name had been mentioned by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israeli media had announced that the plan for the assassination had failed last year. They also claimed that the name of Fakhrizadeh had been released to Israeli spy agency Mossad by the United Nations.

The details of the incident are yet to be clear.

Iran's Defense Ministry issued a statement on Friday confirming that Fakhrizadeh lost his life during the assassination attack. 

"This Friday afternoon, armed terrorist elements attacked a vehicle carrying Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. During the clashes between his security team and the terrorists, Mr. Fakhrizadeh was severely injured and then transferred to hospital," the statement said, adding that the physicians’ efforts to resuscitate ended in failure. 

Chief of Staff of Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Bagheri also issued a statement moments later offering condolences over the assassination of the scientist and vowing "severe revenge".

Military chief says “severe revenge awaits” perpetrators of terrorist attack 

"The terrorist groups and the perpetrators of this blind act should also know that severe revenge awaits them."

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also demanded an immediate identification, arrest and punishment of the elements behind the terrorist attack.

Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi also issued a statement saying that all related intelligence, security and judicial bodies are tasked to use all their energy to identify and arrest all “mercenary and criminal elements and try and punish all those involved in this crime”, ranging from those who ordered, planned, supervised and implemented the act. 

PA/PA