TEHRAN – Iran has inaugurated an international conference titled “Scholars Rise Against Sophicide” to denounce the systematic campaign of assassinations targeting scientists, orchestrated by the United States and Israel.

Mohammad-Javad Larijani, head of Iran’s Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences and chairman of the event, said on Thursday that the conference seeks to raise global awareness about the growing threat to scientists in Iran and other developing nations.

“This conference was organized swiftly to address the emerging threat against science and knowledge,” Larijani said in his opening remarks. “We are facing a new form of terrorism — scientific terrorism.”

Referring to the recent 12-day conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States, Larijani said several Iranian nuclear scientists and military officials were assassinated during the hostilities. 

“The regimes in Washington and Tel Aviv have adopted a dangerous new approach: if they dislike a scientist, they believe they can eliminate them by any means,” he said.

Israel launched an unprovoked attack on June 13, killing numerous senior commanders, nuclear experts, and civilians. The United States later joined the conflict, striking three Iranian nuclear facilities.

Iran responded by targeting Israeli military sites and the U.S. al-Udeid air base in Qatar. The retaliatory operations brought an end to the hostilities on June 24.

Larijani noted that several prominent scientists were killed alongside their families under the false pretext of nuclear weapons development. Larijani emphasized that Iran’s scientific efforts are entirely peaceful, citing a fatwa by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei that explicitly forbids the production of nuclear arms.

Larijani accused Western powers of seeking to monopolize science and technology to maintain global dominance. “They believe that scientific knowledge is not suitable for certain nations,” he said. “The emergence of the Islamic Republic and other rising powers challenges this monopoly.”

The Iranian scholar called for stronger global mechanisms to protect scientists and promote ethical research. “We must expand our own scientific ethics,” he stressed. “Scientists should not be deprived or threatened. Conferences like this must continue to raise awareness and strengthen cooperation among scholars.”

Larijani described “sophicide” — the targeted killing of scientists — as a dangerous new reality that legitimizes murder in the name of scientific control. He warned that the use of advanced weapons, surveillance technologies, and data exploitation has transformed ordinary devices into tools of assassination.

“The academic community must lead the effort to build a secure and sovereign technological ecosystem,” he stated. “Universities should reclaim the role of shaping political and scientific discourse toward justice and peaceful development.”