Latest news with #MohsenFakhrizadeh
New York Post
3 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Israeli strikes that killed 9 Iranian scientists follows decade-long Mossad pattern of success targeting Tehran's top nuclear minds
The pre-emptive Israeli strike that reportedly killed nine of Iran's lead nuclear scientists Friday isn't the first time Tel Aviv has successfully targeted Tehran's top experts. Israel launched large-scale airstrikes against Iran on Friday, effectively assassinating some of the Islamic Republic's top military and scientific leaders, saying it had 'no choice' in light of Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program and slow-moving talks between Tehran and the US. Since 2010, the Mossad – the cunning Israeli intelligence agency – has been linked to the precision killings of at least four other Iranian scientists. 5 The portraits of Iranian generals and nuclear scientists killed Friday hangs from a lamppost in capital Tehran. AFP via Getty Images The most notorious was the 2020 assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh — a physics professor regarded by Israel and Western officials as the father of Iran's nuclear weapons program. Mossad masterminded the killing from outside Iran, through an AI machine gun mounted on a nearby truck. The device zoomed in on Fakhrizadeh's face and fired 13 times as he was driving by, killing him in under a minute, while his wife — sitting mere inches away — was untouched. 5 Mohsen Fakhrizadeh founded Iran's nuclear program. VIA REUTERS The attack succeeded despite Fakhrizadeh traveling with a security detail of as large as 11 men. Before that, a series of targeted killings in the early 2000s followed similar patterns, with Mossad taking aim at the scientists on their way to work. In 2010, Masoud Ali Mohammadi, an Iranian nuclear physicist who lectured at Tehran university, was killed when a bomb strapped to a motorcycle was triggered by remote control outside his home in northern Tehran as he was leaving. 5 Israel launched hundreds of air strikes against Iran this week, targeting its nuclear capacities. TASNIM NEWS/AFP via Getty Images Later that year, another nuclear scientist, Professor Majid Shahriari was killed in the capital when men on motorcycles rode up alongside him and attached a bomb to his car. Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, the 32-year-old deputy head of Iran's uranium enrichment facility was killed in 2012 in a scenario that mimicked a Hollywood script — when two assassins on a motorbike attached a magnetic bomb to his Peugeot as he rode to work in Tehran. The strikes this week are believed to have killed at least nine top Iranian nuclear scientists, according to reports. 5 Fereidoun Abbasi, a former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, was killed Friday. NurPhoto via Getty Images Fereidoun Abbasi, a former head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran who survived a previous assassination attempt in 2010, was among the scientists slain Friday. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, head of Iran's Islamic Azad University in Tehran, was also taken out by the Israelis airstrike on Iran's military command center. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that his objective was to eliminate any Iranian threat to Israel. 5 Mehdi Tehranchi, head of Iran's Islamic Azad University in Tehran, was killed Friday. Tasnim News Agency The US and Iran were scheduled to have talks in Oman Sunday about Iran's nuclear program — but Iran's top diplomat said Saturday the talks were now 'meaningless' following the strikes.
9 News
14 hours ago
- Politics
- 9 News
Israel's unprecedented attack shows Iran has become a 'playground' for the Mossad
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here BREAKING Australian killed, another injured in Bali villa shooting incident Israeli intelligence agency Mossad had smuggled weapons into Iran ahead of the strikes, according to Israeli security officials, and would use the weapons to target Iran's defence from within. The officials said Israel established a base for launching explosive drones inside Iran, and the drones were later used to target missile launchers near Tehran. Military personnel stand near the flag-draped coffin of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh during his funeral in Tehran, Iran, in November 2020. (Iranian Defense Ministry/AP) Precision weapons were also smuggled in and used to target surface-to-air missile systems, clearing the way for Israel's Air Force to carry out more than 100 strikes with upward of 200 aircraft in the early hours of Friday local time. The plan to disable Iranian defences seems to have been effective; Israel said all of its aircraft returned safely from the first waves of strikes, appearing to show Israeli air superiority over parts of a country hundreds of miles away. Intelligence gathered by the Mossad in Iran also gave Israel's air force the ability to target senior Iranian commanders and scientists. In this photo released by the official website of the Iranian Defense Ministry, military personnel carry the flag draped coffin of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a scientist who was killed on Friday, in a funeral ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Monday, November 30. (AP) In an incredibly rare move, the Mossad released video from some of its operations, showing drones attacking what appear to be unsuspecting missile launchers. It is the latest operation to show how deeply Israel's intelligence services, including the Mossad, have penetrated some of Iran's most closely guarded secrets. The operations have made the Mossad appear a nearly unstoppable force in Iran, capable of hitting at some of its highest-ranking officials and most sensitive sites. "Mossad has treated Iran like its playground for years now," said Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute and curator of the Iranist newsletter. "From assassinating top nuclear scientists to sabotaging Iranian nuclear facilities, Israel has proved time and time again that it has always had the upper hand in this shadow war that has now been playing out in the open since the first tit-for-tat strikes in April 2024." Firefighters and people clean up the scene of an explosion in a residence compound after Israel attacked Iran's capital Tehran, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) An Israeli security source said the latest operation required commando forces operating deep within Tehran and across the country while avoiding detection from Iran's security and intelligence agencies. The source said Mossad teams targeted air defence missiles, ballistic missiles, and missile launchers as the attack from the Israeli Air Force began. A second Israeli security source said the Mossad operations were years in the making, involving both intelligence-gathering efforts and the deployment of Mossad commandos deep behind enemy lines. Some of the Mossad commando forces operated in the Iranian capital itself, according to the security source. In addition to the drone base established by the Mossad long before Wednesday's attack, Mossad commandos deployed "precision-guided weapons systems" near Iranian missile air defence systems, which were activated at the same time as the Israeli air force began striking its targets. A second operation deployed sophisticated vehicle-mounted weaponry to target other Iranian defence systems. The Mossad operation also involved assassinations of top Iranian officials. Israel has shown – flaunted even – the Mossad's ability to operate with near impunity in Iran in the past. Starting in the early-2010s, Iran accused Israel of carrying out a campaign of assassinations against the country's nuclear scientists. Smoke rises up after an explosion in Tehran, Iran on Friday, June 13. (AP) Former Defence Minister Moshe Ya'alon tacitly acknowledged the targeted killings when he said in 2015 that Israel cannot be held responsible "for the life expectancy of Iran's nuclear scientists." From 2007 to 2012 Israel allegedly carried out five covert assassinations, nearly all in Tehran, through remote-controlled bombings, or remote-controlled machine guns. Only one of Iran's key nuclear scientists survived the assassination attempt, Fereydoon Abbasi. Just last month, Abbasi told Iranian state media that any attack on production sites would have little impact on the timeline of developing a bomb, saying, "our capabilities are spread all over the country. If they target production sites, it will be inconsequential to our timetable, because our nuclear materials are not stored above ground for them to hit." Abbasi was one of the scientists killed in Israel's early morning attack in Tehran. The Mossad's actions soon became much more public. In early-2018, Israel stole Iran's nuclear archive from Tehran, displaying the intelligence coup in a live broadcast from Jerusalem. Speaking in English, Netanyahu showed off the archive, including what he said were copies of 55,000 pages of Iranian nuclear information and a display of discs he said were 55,000 files. Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles over Tel Aviv, Israel on Friday, June 13. (AP) Iran tried to dismiss Netanyahu's comments as "childish" and "laughable," but the plundering of the archive showed the confidence Israel had in the Mossad's ability to function in Tehran. The operation, which would have required extensive planning and an intimate knowledge of the archive's location and security, pushed the first Trump administration to withdraw from the original nuclear agreement with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). In November 2020, Israel assassinated Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran's chief nuclear scientist, while he was in a bulletproof car travelling with his wife. Fakhrizadeh's car was moving in a convoy with three security vehicles when he came under fire. Iranian state media said a remote-controlled machine gun opened fire on the nuclear scientist, who had been a long-time target for Israel. The operation, which Israel has not publicly acknowledged, was carried out with remarkable precision, and it displayed a deep knowledge of Fakhrizadeh's pattern of life. And yet despite its repeated inability to stop the Mossad, Iran has proven incapable of improving. Ram Ben Barak, the former deputy director of the Mossad, said the organisation's continued success is "due to a very, very disliked regime, even hated by most of the public, so this allows for intelligence penetration on one hand, and on the other, you have the sophistication and professionalism of the Israeli intelligence personnel." After the start of the war in Gaza, Israel assassinated Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in the heart of Tehran. A source familiar with the matter said Israel planted an explosive device in a guest house where Haniyeh was known to stay. The bomb was concealed in the room for two months before the targeted killing and detonated remotely once Haniyeh was in the room. World Iran Israel Middle East CONTACT US Property News: The last inner Sydney suburbs where houses cost under $2m.
The Hindu
21 hours ago
- The Hindu
The Hindu Morning Digest: June 14, 2025
Air India Ahmedabad plane crash: Grief-stricken kin give DNA samples to identify victims The air outside Ahmedabad's Civil Hospital hung thick with unspoken grief. Dozens of families sat in rows, some clutching their family members, others staring blankly at the ground or photographs of loved ones on their mobile phones — waiting to give DNA samples that might finally bring their loved ones home. Inside the autopsy rooms, forensic teams moved through their grim work. Charred remains required careful examination; dental records became precious clues. The work continued through the night, matching what remained to names that once belonged to living, breathing people. Ahmedabad flight crash: Black box recovered from roof of hostel mess building of B.J. Medical College: AAIB The black box was recovered on Friday from the roof of the hostel mess building of B.J. Medical College where the Air India flight AI171 crashed into on Thursday (June 12, 2025), said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), a division of the Ministry of Aviation. Its analysis could provide vital clues about what triggered the disaster. A black box is a small device that records information about an aircraft during its flight. It helps in investigation of aviation accidents. Search continues for woman and child missing after Air India flight crash at B.J. Medical College Twenty-four hours after one of the worst aviation disasters in recent memory, Ravi Thakor stood outside BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad, visibly distressed as he continued his search for his mother and toddler daughter. Both were inside the hostel mess into which Air India's Ahmedabad–London flight crashed minutes after take-off on Thursday, killing all but one on board. Air India Ahmedabad plane crash: DGCA enhances safety audit for Air India's Dreamliner fleet A day after Air India flight AI-171 crashed shortly after takeoff from the Ahmedabad airport, India's aviation safety regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), issued fresh inspection guidelines for the airline's Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, which are powered by GEnx engines. These new guidelines will be mandatory from Monday, June 15. Iran launches new wave of missile attacks; explosions heard over Jerusalem Sirens and a round of explosions, possibly from Israeli interceptors, could be heard booming in the sky over Jerusalem early Saturday (June 14, 2025) and the Israeli military said another attack was taking place. The Israeli military urged civilians, already rattled by an earlier wave of missiles, to head to shelter. The Iranian outlet Nour News, which has close links with the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said a new wave was being launched. Why Israel struck Iran? Israel has been preparing for this for years. It opposed the 2015 nuclear deal. It carried out several clandestine attacks inside Iran, including the 2020 assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the father of Iranian nuclear programme. It took the war directly to Iran in April 2024, by bombing the Iranian embassy in Damascus. All while, Israel argued that Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes were 'an existential threat' to itself. And on June 13, Israel carried out a massive attack in Iran, targeting the country's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile sites, the residences of its top Generals and more than two dozen nuclear scientists. The Israeli attack, which lasted for hours, is the heaviest military blow to the Islamic Republic since the revolution. India abstains on Gaza ceasefire resolution in UNGA, just six months after voting for a similar resolution India abstained from a U.N. General Assembly resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza for the fourth time in three years, indicating a growing trend in the Modi government's policy not to vote on statements critical of Israel's bombardment of Gaza, in which 55,000 have been killed. India had voted in favour of a UNGA resolution for ceasefire in December 2024, making this a significant departure from India's position just six months ago. Congress asks why Modi continues to be silent even when Trump makes repeated claims about 'stopping' the war The Congress on Friday (June 13, 2025) asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued to be silent even as U.S. President Donald Trump repeated his claim of 'stopping' a war between India and Pakistan with 'trade' for the 'nth time'. Assam CM orders shoot-at-sight in restive Dhubri Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday (June 13, 2025) gave a shoot-at-sight order to check communal tension in Dhubri town, about 290 km west of Guwahati. The town, headquarters of the Dhubri district, has been on edge since the severed head of a cow was found in front of a Hanuman Temple on June 8, a day after Id-ul-Azha (Bakrid) was observed. News that one man survived the Ahmedabad flight crash weighs on some other sole survivors News of the sole survivor of an Air India plane crash that killed the other 241 people aboard has led to endless online fascination, but it has also stirred up painful feelings for a handful of others who have had similar fates. Tens of thousands of people have searched for details about Vishwashkumar Ramesh since Thursday's (June 12, 2025) crash, according to Google Trends. People have commented on social media that the idea seems unreal, remarkable, a work of divine intervention, and a miracle. But it has happened more than a dozen times before.. Marines seen standing guard at a federal building in Los Angeles Marines were seen standing guard outside a federal building in Los Angeles on Friday (June 13, 2025) as they started to take over some posts from National Guard members after protests erupted last week over immigration raids and President Donald Trump deployed the troops to the city. Israel-Iran conflict to impact oil supply to India, increase export costs by 40-50% Israel's attack on Iran and heightened tensions in the area pose significant risks to India in terms of curtailed supplies of oil and a 40-50% increase in the export costs, according to analysts and trade experts. World Test Championship final: Markram's century, Bavuma's grit put South Africa on brink of historic win over Australia Hobbling captain Temba Bavuma and hundred-hitter Aiden Markram pushed South Africa to the brink of a sensational victory over Australia in a gripping World Test Championship final at Lord's on Friday. Bavuma, elevating the drama with a strained left hamstring, and opener Markram capitalized on ideal batting conditions. They partnered for an unbroken 143 runs against one of Australia's greatest bowling attacks to have South Africa 69 runs from an historic triumph.
Rhyl Journal
a day ago
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Timeline of tensions and hostilities between Israel and Iran
Israel said it targeted nuclear and military facilities, killing Iran's top military and nuclear scientists. Israel's attack comes as tensions have escalated over Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme, which Israel sees as a threat to its existence. Here is a timeline of some significant events in the hostilities between the two countries: – Iran's nuclear programme is a primary target 2010 – The Stuxnet computer virus is discovered and widely believed to be a joint US-Israeli creation. The virus disrupted and destroyed Iranian centrifuges. 2018 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel obtained tens of thousands of pages of data showing Iran covered up its nuclear programme before signing a deal with world powers in 2015. An ex-Mossad chief confirms the information was obtained by more than a dozen non-Israeli agents from safes in Tehran in 2018. 2020 – Alleged Israeli attacks against Iran's nuclear programme are stepped up significantly after the disintegration of the 2015 nuclear deal meant to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons. July 2020 – A mysterious explosion tears apart a centrifuge production plant at Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. Iran blames the attack on Israel. November 2020 – A top Iranian military nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, is killed by a remote-controlled machine gun while traveling in a car outside Tehran. A top Iranian security official accuses Israel of using 'electronic devices' to remotely kill the scientist, who founded Iran's military nuclear programme in the 2000s. April 11, 2021 – An attack targets Iran's underground nuclear facility in Natanz. Iran blames Israel, which does not claim responsibility, but Israeli media widely reports the government orchestrated a cyberattack that caused a blackout at the facility. April 16, 2021 – Iran begins enriching uranium up to 60%, its highest purity ever and a technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. June 2022 – Iran accuses Israel of poisoning two nuclear scientists in different cities within three days of each other, though circumstances remained unclear. – Middle East Wars October 7, 2023 – Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip storm into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage, beginning the most intense war between Israel and Hamas. Iran, which has armed Hamas, offers support to the militants. February 14, 2024 – An Israeli sabotage attack causes multiple explosions on an Iranian natural gas pipeline running from Iran's western Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province to cities on the Caspian Sea. April 1, 2024 – An Israeli airstrike demolishes Iran's consulate in Damascus, Syria, killing 16 people, including two Iranian generals. April 14, 2024 – Iran launches an unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel, firing more than 300 missiles and attack drones in response to the Israeli airstrike in Damascus. Working with a US-led international coalition, Israel intercepts much of the incoming fire. April 19, 2024 – A suspected Israeli strike hits an air defence system near an airport in Isfahan, Iran. July 31, 2024 – Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is assassinated by an apparent Israeli airstrike during a visit to Tehran. Israel had pledged to kill Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders over the October 7 attack. September 27, 2024 – An Israeli airstrike kills Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Formed by Iranian Revolutionary Guard members who went to Lebanon in 1982 to fight invading Israeli forces, Hezbollah was the first group that Iran backed and used as a way to export its brand of political Islam. October 1, 2024 – Iran launches its second direct attack on Israel, though a US-led coalition and Israel shoot down most of the missiles. October 16, 2024 – Israel kills Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip. October 26, 2024 – Israel openly attacks Iran for the first time, striking air defence systems and sites associated with its missile programme. April 30, 2025 – Iran executes a man it said worked for Israel's Mossad foreign intelligence agency and played a role in the killing of Revolutionary Guard colonel Hassan Sayyad Khodaei in Tehran on May 22, 2022.
South Wales Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Timeline of tensions and hostilities between Israel and Iran
Israel said it targeted nuclear and military facilities, killing Iran's top military and nuclear scientists. Israel's attack comes as tensions have escalated over Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme, which Israel sees as a threat to its existence. Here is a timeline of some significant events in the hostilities between the two countries: – Iran's nuclear programme is a primary target 2010 – The Stuxnet computer virus is discovered and widely believed to be a joint US-Israeli creation. The virus disrupted and destroyed Iranian centrifuges. 2018 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel obtained tens of thousands of pages of data showing Iran covered up its nuclear programme before signing a deal with world powers in 2015. An ex-Mossad chief confirms the information was obtained by more than a dozen non-Israeli agents from safes in Tehran in 2018. 2020 – Alleged Israeli attacks against Iran's nuclear programme are stepped up significantly after the disintegration of the 2015 nuclear deal meant to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons. July 2020 – A mysterious explosion tears apart a centrifuge production plant at Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility. Iran blames the attack on Israel. November 2020 – A top Iranian military nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, is killed by a remote-controlled machine gun while traveling in a car outside Tehran. A top Iranian security official accuses Israel of using 'electronic devices' to remotely kill the scientist, who founded Iran's military nuclear programme in the 2000s. April 11, 2021 – An attack targets Iran's underground nuclear facility in Natanz. Iran blames Israel, which does not claim responsibility, but Israeli media widely reports the government orchestrated a cyberattack that caused a blackout at the facility. April 16, 2021 – Iran begins enriching uranium up to 60%, its highest purity ever and a technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. June 2022 – Iran accuses Israel of poisoning two nuclear scientists in different cities within three days of each other, though circumstances remained unclear. – Middle East Wars October 7, 2023 – Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip storm into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage, beginning the most intense war between Israel and Hamas. Iran, which has armed Hamas, offers support to the militants. February 14, 2024 – An Israeli sabotage attack causes multiple explosions on an Iranian natural gas pipeline running from Iran's western Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province to cities on the Caspian Sea. April 1, 2024 – An Israeli airstrike demolishes Iran's consulate in Damascus, Syria, killing 16 people, including two Iranian generals. April 14, 2024 – Iran launches an unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel, firing more than 300 missiles and attack drones in response to the Israeli airstrike in Damascus. Working with a US-led international coalition, Israel intercepts much of the incoming fire. April 19, 2024 – A suspected Israeli strike hits an air defence system near an airport in Isfahan, Iran. July 31, 2024 – Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is assassinated by an apparent Israeli airstrike during a visit to Tehran. Israel had pledged to kill Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders over the October 7 attack. September 27, 2024 – An Israeli airstrike kills Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Formed by Iranian Revolutionary Guard members who went to Lebanon in 1982 to fight invading Israeli forces, Hezbollah was the first group that Iran backed and used as a way to export its brand of political Islam. October 1, 2024 – Iran launches its second direct attack on Israel, though a US-led coalition and Israel shoot down most of the missiles. October 16, 2024 – Israel kills Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip. October 26, 2024 – Israel openly attacks Iran for the first time, striking air defence systems and sites associated with its missile programme. April 30, 2025 – Iran executes a man it said worked for Israel's Mossad foreign intelligence agency and played a role in the killing of Revolutionary Guard colonel Hassan Sayyad Khodaei in Tehran on May 22, 2022.
