TEHRAN – Defense Minister Amir Hatami said on Wednesday that there is “serious evidence” about the role of the regime in Tel Aviv in the November assassination of Iran’s top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

Pointing to the Israeli regime’s history of assassinating Iranian scientists, Brigadier General Hatami said there’s also serious evidence about the regime’s role in the Fakhrizadeh assassination.

He made the remarks in a letter to his counterparts in over 60 countries about the prominent scientist’s assassination.

Iran sees silence on this terrorist act as an excuse for its repetition and insecurity in the world, the minister emphasized, according to IRNA.

He further announced that Iran preserves right to respond to the assassination.

In his letter, General Hatami wrote about the scientific and research achievements and initiatives gained and developed by Fakhrizadeh.

Also, he stressed the need to put aside double-standard behavior towards the fight against “state terrorism”.

Hatami called on global community to take part in the campaign against “this inhuman, illegitimate and felonious move.”

Fakhrizadeh, a senior nuclear and defense scientist, was assassinated in a small city east of Tehran on November 27.

His assassination is considered a serious blow to diplomatic efforts to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which was abandoned by U.S. President Donald Trump in May 2018.

Iran has blamed Israel, which has carried out assassination operations against Iranian nuclear scientists over the past decade. Immediately after the assassination, Foreign Minister Zarif said in a tweet that the attack was carried out with “serious indications of Israeli role”.

Over the past years Israel has assassinated five other Iranian nuclear scientists. It has killed Masoud Alimohammadi, Majid Shahriari, Darioush Rezaeinejad, and Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan. Israel also attempted to assassinate Fereydon Abbassi, Iran’s former nuclear chief, but it failed.

President Hassan Rouhani said a day after the assassination that Israel was behind the crime.

“Once again, the evil hands of global arrogance and their Zionist mercenaries, were stained with the blood of another Iranian, causing deep grief across the nation for losing a hard-working scientist,” Rouhani said in a message.

Undoubtedly, he said, the horrific terrorist attack is due to the inability of Iran’s enemies against the country’s scientific movement and the honors and capabilities of the great nation of Iran. 

“It also comes after the enemies’ repeated defeats in the region and other political arenas, and the depth of their malice and resentment,” the president noted.

In remarks on Tuesday, Hatami said Fakhrizadeh was the frontrunner of resistance against nuclear threats.

“He left behind invaluable legacies in this field,” the defense chief said.

He also said Fakhrizadeh was active in the field of nuclear defense, adding that the United States and the occupying Israeli regime possess hundreds of nuclear bombs and are considered a threat for the security of the people across the world.

Hatami further lauded Fakhrizadeh for his role in the country’s scientific progress, but said the enemy failed to stop Iran’s progress through the assassination.

MH/PA