UPDATE - Zarif Calls On International Community To Condemn Killing Of Iranian Scientist

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th November, 2020) Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Friday that the killing of Iranian nuclear scientist appeared to involve Israel in some way and should be condemned by the international community.

The Iranian Defense Ministry said earlier in the day that the head of its research and innovation center, nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was killed.

"Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today. This cowardice�with serious indications of Israeli role�shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators," Zarif said on Twitter.

The minister called on the international community to condemn this "act of state terror."

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

Chief of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri also believes that the assassination of Fakhrizadeh has links to Israel.

"And again, stupid terrorists associated with global arrogance and the nasty Zionist regime, have committed a cruel act and killed one of the leading employees of the scientific, research and defense sector of the country," Bagheri said as quoted by ISNA news agency.

The defense official stressed that the enemies of Iran would not be able to stop the project, on which Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was working, and threatened the perpetrators of the murder with revenge.

According to the Iranian Tasnim news agency, an explosive-laden Nissan pick-up exploded near Fakhrizadeh's car at the Persian Gulf Square in the town of Absard, after which there was a shooting. One of the scientist's guards received four gunshot wounds.

The incident reportedly took place at about 2.30 p.m. local time (11:00 GMT).

Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami confirmed the details of Fakhrizadeh's death, adding that there were two injured guards.

Fakhrizadeh himself, according to Tasnim, was taken to hospital by helicopter, where he died.

There previously were multiple instances when Iranian nuclear scientists were targeted in direct assassination attempts. There are speculations that these attacks might be carried out by the Israeli intelligence force Mossad, but Israel has neither confirmed, nor denied this.