Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations has called on Washington and Tel Aviv to avoid “adventuristic measures” after the assassination of a top Iranian scientist, while also alleging “serious indications” of Israeli involvement.
The Islamic Republic's UN envoy Majid Takht Ravanchi penned a harshly worded letter to the international body on Friday, blasting the “terrorist assassination” of leading nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh by unknown assailants earlier on Friday morning, while also warning that Tehran would retaliate to any brash moves taken by Israel or the US.
“Warning against any adventuristic measures by the United States and Israel against my country, particularly during the remaining period of the current administration of the United States in office, the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its rights to take all necessary measures to defend its people and secure its interests,” Ravanchi said, as cited by Reuters.
Also on rt.com Iran vows ‘severe revenge’ for assassination of nuclear scientist as UN chief urges ‘restraint’The Islamic Republic of Iran condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the criminal assassination of Martyr Fakhrizadeh, and expects the Secretary-General… to strongly condemn ths inhumane terrorist attack.
Calling the murder a “desperate attempt to wreak havoc on our region,” Ravanchi also pointed to “serious indications of Israeli responsibility,” though did not elaborate on the evidence.
The scientist’s killers remain unidentified and at large, fleeing after critically wounding him in an ambush on his vehicle outside the Iranian capital. Fakhrizadeh was rushed to a hospital for treatment, but later died of his wounds.
Though no party has taken responsibility for the assassination, Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has also pointed to “indications” of an “Israeli role,” while Iranian military commanders have vowed “severe revenge” for the attack. Tehran blamed Tel Aviv for a spate of previous slayings of high-level nuclear scientists between 2010 and 2012, however no public evidence has yet emerged to suggest the perpetrator of the latest murder plot.
Iran maintains that its nuclear program has no military dimension and has only peaceful goals, despite decades of allegations from Washington and Tel Aviv that the country is on the brink of a nuclear weapon. To date, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which monitors Iranian nuclear sites, has not substantiated those allegations, finding no sign of a weaponization effort.
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