Latest news with #RoozbehVadi
The National
6 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Iran catches 21,000 suspects in security net during 12-day war with Israel, police say
Iran 's police arrested 21,000 people during Israel's 12-day war in June, according to state media, part of a campaign by Tehran to tackle Israeli espionage. Police spokesman Saeed Montazeralmahdi said that members of the public helped by reporting their suspicions to the authorities, Mehr news agency reported. More than 260 people were detained on suspicion of spying while 172 were arrested for unauthorised use of video cameras and phones, Mr Montazeralmahdi said. Iran last week executed a man convicted of spying for Israel. Roozbeh Vadi had passed on details of a nuclear scientist killed by Israel during the 12-day war, prosecutors said. He was found to have transferred sensitive information to a contact at meetings in Vienna and was paid with cryptocurrency, they said. Israeli intelligence officials openly bragged about how easily Iran could be infiltrated. Iran regularly announces executions of people convicted of working for foreign intelligence services. In June, Tehran executed three Kurdish men convicted of aiding Mossad in the 2020 assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. After Israel attacked Iran on June 13, Tehran pledged swift trials for suspects and has announced several executions for espionage. Israel's surprise attack targeted Iranian generals, nuclear enrichment sites and scientists, and air defences. Iran retaliated by launching missile and drone attacks at Israel. Fighting stopped after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on June 24. Israel's strikes killed nearly 1,100 people in Iran, while Iranian strikes killed 28 people in Israel.
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First Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Iran sends its top nuclear scientists into hiding. Here's why
Iran has reportedly moved its remaining nuclear scientists into hiding after Israel killed at least 14 researchers during the 12-day conflict in June. More than 15 of them have left their homes and universities and have been moved to undisclosed locations. This step was taken following Israel's targeted killings of several Iranian nuclear researchers during the recent conflict Pictures of Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists and others killed in Israeli strikes are displayed in southern Tehran, Iran. WANA via Reuters/File Photo Iran has reportedly moved its remaining nuclear scientists into hiding after Israel killed at least 14 researchers during the 12-day conflict in June. According to a report by the UK's The Telegraph, over 15 scientists are no longer living in their homes or working at universities and have been relocated to undisclosed places. Meanwhile, Israeli experts claim that a new group of Iranian nuclear scientists is ready to continue the work of those killed, describing them as 'dead men walking'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD So, why has Iran chosen to hide its remaining scientists? What is Israel saying? Here's a look: Why did Iran move top nuclear scientists to safe houses? Simply put, this was done because of Israel's targeted killings of several Iranian nuclear researchers during the recent 12-day conflict. A senior Iranian official told The Telegraph that more than 15 top scientists who survived have left their homes and universities to hide in secure locations in Tehran or along the northern coast. The report says it has seen the names of over 15 of these surviving scientists on a list of about 100 held by Israel. According to Israeli claims, those on the list must now decide whether to continue their work and risk more attacks or leave the field altogether. This picture shows the destruction at Evin prison after Israeli air strikes the previous month, in Tehran, on July 1, 2025. AFP/File Photo 'Most of them are no longer living in their houses – they are either moved to safe houses in Tehran or to the north,' the Iranian official told The Telegraph. He further said: 'Those who were teaching at universities are replaced with people who have no connection with the nuclear programme.' The move comes amid fears, fuelled by Israeli briefings, that more assassinations may take place. It also follows Iran's execution this week of one of its own nuclear scientists. Roozbeh Vadi, who had worked at one of Iran's most sensitive nuclear sites, was hanged on Wednesday over allegations that he passed information to Israel, helping in the killing of his colleagues during the June conflict, the report said. What is Israel saying? Israeli experts believe a new generation of Iranian nuclear scientists is ready to take over the work of those killed, describing them as 'dead men walking' despite tighter security measures such as safe houses and round-the-clock protection. According to them, Iran has designed its nuclear research programme so that each key figure has at least one deputy, working in groups of two or three to ensure the work continues if someone is targeted. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Israeli sources told The Telegraph they suspect some of the surviving scientists have stepped into the roles of their slain colleagues in Iran's nuclear weaponisation programme at the Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research, or SPND. These include experts in explosives, neutron physics and warhead design. 'While the eliminated scientists focused more on warhead design, the expertise in delivery systems makes those who remain equally strategic targets for Israel, as Israel's June 2025 strikes also targeted ballistic missile infrastructure,' Israeli intelligence and defence analyst Ronen Solomon told the publication. Danny Citrinowicz, former head of the Iranian strategic desk in Israeli Defense Intelligence, said the remaining scientists face a clear choice. 'Those who are left will be at the forefront of any Iranian attempt to reach a nuclear bomb, hence they will automatically become targets for Israel, as Israel has shown in the past. I have no doubt about it. Any scientist who deals with the nuclear issue will be eliminated or will be threatened with elimination,' Citrinowicz told the publication. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Iran, however, has consistently denied running a nuclear weapons programme, insisting its nuclear work is purely for civilian purposes. The move comes amid fears, fuelled by Israeli briefings, that more assassinations may take place. Reuters/File Photo What happened in June 2025? At least 14 Iranian nuclear scientists were killed in targeted attacks by Israel. According to the Israeli military, nine of them died in the first wave of strikes on June 13. They were described as having 'decades of accumulated experience in the development of nuclear weapons' and included experts in chemistry, materials, explosives and physics. Israel's ambassador to France, Joshua Zarka, told the Associated Press that the scientists were targeted 'not because of the fact that they knew physics, but because of the fight that they were personally involved in, the creation and the fabrication and the production of (a) nuclear weapon.' Experts say that decades of Iranian work on nuclear energy, and what Western powers claim is nuclear weapons development, has left the country with a deep pool of knowledge and trained scientists who could continue any efforts to produce warheads for Iran's ballistic missiles. With inputs from agencies STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Sydney Morning Herald
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Iran executes nuclear scientist charged with spying for Israel
New York: Iran has executed one of its nuclear scientists over allegations that he was a spy for Israel and had facilitated Israel's assassination of another nuclear scientist during the two countries' war in June, according to the judiciary's news outlet, Mizan. The judiciary said the scientist, Roozbeh Vadi, had worked at one of Iran's most sensitive and important nuclear sites and had access to the type of classified information sought by the country's enemies. Vadi was executed by hanging on Wednesday after he was found guilty of espionage and providing information to Israel, the judiciary said. The execution follows a 12-day war with Israel and the United States in June, when Israel assassinated at least 30 Iranian senior military commanders and 11 nuclear scientists. Iranian officials have publicly acknowledged that Israel's widespread infiltration of its security and intelligence apparatuses enabled Israel to eliminate key parts of Iran's military chain of command in the war's first night and helped it launch drone attacks from inside Iran. While the two countries have been locked in a long-running shadow war, the apparent accuracy of Israel's information and its launching of attacks inside the country have rattled Iranian officials. Loading Since the war ended, authorities have swept up hundreds of people, including activists and dissidents, on suspicion of spying and threatening national security, Iranian media reports and rights groups say. But the arrest and execution of a nuclear scientist is rare in a nation that takes great pride in its domestic nuclear program, with scientists hailed as national heroes. It is also an embarrassing admission of the possible extent to which Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service, has infiltrated Iran.
The Age
07-08-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Iran executes nuclear scientist charged with spying for Israel
New York: Iran has executed one of its nuclear scientists over allegations that he was a spy for Israel and had facilitated Israel's assassination of another nuclear scientist during the two countries' war in June, according to the judiciary's news outlet, Mizan. The judiciary said the scientist, Roozbeh Vadi, had worked at one of Iran's most sensitive and important nuclear sites and had access to the type of classified information sought by the country's enemies. Vadi was executed by hanging on Wednesday after he was found guilty of espionage and providing information to Israel, the judiciary said. The execution follows a 12-day war with Israel and the United States in June, when Israel assassinated at least 30 Iranian senior military commanders and 11 nuclear scientists. Iranian officials have publicly acknowledged that Israel's widespread infiltration of its security and intelligence apparatuses enabled Israel to eliminate key parts of Iran's military chain of command in the war's first night and helped it launch drone attacks from inside Iran. While the two countries have been locked in a long-running shadow war, the apparent accuracy of Israel's information and its launching of attacks inside the country have rattled Iranian officials. Loading Since the war ended, authorities have swept up hundreds of people, including activists and dissidents, on suspicion of spying and threatening national security, Iranian media reports and rights groups say. But the arrest and execution of a nuclear scientist is rare in a nation that takes great pride in its domestic nuclear program, with scientists hailed as national heroes. It is also an embarrassing admission of the possible extent to which Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service, has infiltrated Iran.
New York Times
06-08-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
On the Hunt for Spies, Iran Executes a Nuclear Scientist
Iran executed one of its nuclear scientists on Wednesday over allegations that he was a spy for Israel and had facilitated Israel's assassination of another nuclear scientist during the two countries' war in June, according to the judiciary's news outlet, Mizan. The judiciary said the scientist, Roozbeh Vadi, had worked at one of the country's most sensitive and important nuclear sites and had access to the type of classified information sought by Iran's enemies. Mr. Vadi was executed by hanging after he was found guilty of espionage and providing information to Israel, the judiciary said. The execution follows a 12-day war with Israel and the United States in June, when Israel assassinated at least 30 Iranian senior military commanders and 11 nuclear scientists. Iranian officials have acknowledged publicly that Israel's widespread infiltration of its security and intelligence apparatuses enabled Israel to eliminate key parts of Iran's military chain of command in the war's first night and helped it launch drone attacks from inside Iran. Following the war, officials have blamed Israel for a series of explosions and fires around the country. While the two countries have been locked in a long-running shadow war, the apparent accuracy of Israel's information and its launching attacks inside the country has rattled Iranian officials. Since the war ended, authorities have swept up hundreds of people, including activists and dissidents, on suspicions of spying and threatening national security, Iranian media reports and rights groups say. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
