Iran Opposition Suspected in Scientist’s Killing

A senior Iranian official said on Monday an opposition group was suspected alongside Israel in the killing of a prominent Iranian nuclear scientist, an attack that has raised the prospect of a new standoff between Tehran and Yerushalayim.

Iran’s English-language Press news channel reported the weapon used in Friday’s killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was made in Israel.

“The weapons collected from the site of the terrorist act bear the logo and specifications of the Israeli military industry,” an unnamed source was quoted as saying.

In Yerushalayim, there was no immediate reply from Israeli officials contacted for comment on the report.

Speaking before the Press report, Israeli intelligence minister Eli Cohen told radio station 103 FM on Monday that he did not know who was responsible.

Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, told state media: “This was a very complicated assassination that was carried out remotely with electronic devices.”

“We have some clues but surely the ‘Monafeghin’ group was involved and the criminal element behind it is the Zionist regime (Israel) and Mossad,” he added.

“Monafeghin” is a term officials employ to refer to the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an umbrella bloc of opposition groups in exile that seek an end to Shi’ite Muslim clerical rule.