Iran: We had information Israel, U.S. intended to attack us
Israel mum about death of Iranian scientist Massoud Ali Mohammadi, killed in a blast on Tuesday.
By Barak Ravid, Reuters and Yossi Melman Tags: Iran nuclear Israel newsIran received information days ago that Israeli and U.S. intelligence intended to carry out terrorist acts in Tehran, the country's parliament speaker said on Wednesday, one day after the assassination of a university scientist.
Washington has rejected Iran's allegations of U.S. involvement in Tuesday's bombing that killed professor Massoud Ali Mohammadi near his home in the Iranian capital as absurd. Israel has not commented on the incident.
Mohammadi was killed in a powerful bomb blast as he was leaving home in northern Tehran for work.
Iranian officials and state media described the slain scientist as a nuclear physicist, but a spokesman said he did not work for the Atomic Energy Organization at the center of Iran's disputed nuclear program.
Iran's influential parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, said a U.S.-based pro-monarchy group had claimed responsibility for the attack, adding it was controlled by the CIA. Iran's Fars News Agency on Tuesday said such an exile group had claimed the bombing in a statement, without saying how it obtained it.
"An American-based monarchy group...claimed responsibility for this terrorist act," Larijani said, the state broadcaster reported. "Maybe the CIA and the Zionist regime [Israel] thought they can mislead us with such an absurd statement."
"We had clear information several days ago that the intelligence apparatus of the Zionist regime and the CIA wanted to implement terrorist acts in Tehran," he said.
Using such a "rootless group" as a cover was a new "disgrace" for U.S. President Barack Obama, Larijani said. "Why do you host this terrorist group in America?" he asked.
Israel refused Tuesday to react to Iranian accusations that it or the United States was behind a mysterious explosion that killed an Iranian nuclear physicist in Tehran Tuesday.
Iran blamed Israel and the U.S. Tuesday for the death of Dr. Massoud Ali Mohammadi, 50, a nuclear physics professor who is believed to have publicly backed opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi.
Both the Prime Minister's Office and the Foreign Ministry refused to comment on the explosion or the Iranian accusations. U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner denied the charge the United States was behind the blast yesterday, calling accusations "absurd."
But the Iranian foreign ministry had a different take on the bomb blast.
"One can see in preliminary investigations signs of the triangle of evil of the Zionist regime, America and their mercenaries in Iran in this terrorist incident," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said.
"Such terrorist acts and the physical elimination of the country's nuclear scientists will certainly not stop the scientific and technological process but will speed it up," he added.
"Given the fact that Massoud Ali Mohammadi was a nuclear scientist, the CIA and Mossad services and agents most likely have had a hand in it," Iranian prosecutor general Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said.
Iran's state-run Arabic-language television Al-Alam identified Mohammadi as a "hezbollahi" teacher - a term used for staunch supporters of the Iranian regime. However, opposition Web sites described Mohammadi as an outspoken supporter of Mousavi.
The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that Ali Mohammadi was involved in a regional research project that also involved Israeli scientists. The project, called Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East, or SESAME, is based in Jordan and operates under United Nations auspices.
Iranian and foreign scientists told the Washington Post the project has applications in industry, medicine, nanotechnology and other fields unrelated to nuclear power.
Palestinians also participate in the project, whose last meeting was held in November in Jordan.
An Israeli scientist present at the meeting told the Washington Post that he talked to Ali Mohammadi during an informal group meeting. "We did not discuss politics or nuclear issues, as our project is not connected to nuclear physics," Rabinovici told the paper.
An Iranian scientist involved in the project denied that there had been any direct meetings between his delegation and the Israelis. "They are present in the same room, but there are no direct meetings," Javad Rahighi, a nuclear researcher, told the Washington Post. "We are all shocked," he said. "I couldn't imagine anybody wanting to kill him. He was a scientist, nothing more."
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Assassinated Iran nuclear scientist Massoud Ali Mohammadi. |
| Photo by: (AP) |
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You can tell how low the IQ level of those who believe that Israel and the U.S are behind this act just by the way they comment... They simply repeat what Larijani said. Where as those who have an open mind and higher IQ level can tell what is wrong with this picture on so many levels. If you are so consumed by hatred that you will blame your enemies for an act you committed, then you are hell bound.
the americans did not deny their culpability
USA and Israel are and have been trying to bait Iran into a first strike to justify war with them. Infowars.com
what do you think Iran's response will be? will they stomach it and remain nice & quiet
had been murdered, the Mossad would have found out who actually did it Meanwhile it's just covering it's own backside, getting rid of any opposition to the mad Mullah's
This coming from the same nation that denies the holocaust from ever happening. It was nothing more than Iran dealing with political opponents. If anyone has been following the demonstrations in Iran, the government is the most tense it's been in years and is getting desperate.
Israel is usually rather quick to come out with official denials, when it believes not to have been involved into the killing of civilians/militants in Gaza.... Swiss (Dino) ? Answer to your question leads to another one: Why Hitler did not occupy Switzerland? Silent friends or lovers;-?
the USA would start bombing the hell out of Iran and Israel would go on its long planned invasion of southern Lebanon.
you are correct. a building in my city caught fire and burned to the ground. i accused israel, but no one refuted me. therefore, i was correct. the mossadians got us again!
I am of the opinion that the scientist was killed by an Iranian based group hostile to the present regime. Leadership is running rampant over the rights and freedoms of the people. Innocents have been killed, tortured, and incarcerated. There will be more bombing assassinations in the days to come- not by Mosad and or CIA agents, but by groups who are no longer willing to live under the leadership of tyrants.
The Pot calling the Kettle black!!!
If the victim was indeed opposed to the present Iranian government, it's only logical that Iran would be the perpetrators of the bombing, not the US and Israel. Why would the West want to diminish any opposition force against the existing Iranian government? It is in fact more logical to see Iran attempting to focus others to look away from their own efforts to eliminate dissidents.
why should israel have to explain, would you want to deal with the mafia.
Why USA and Israel and too much frightened and killing Iranian scientists? To postpone Iran making nuclear bomb? USA and Isreal have enough bobm to explode the earth, so why they are afraid of Iran?
Sorry I cant leave any of my true comments because this website is against freedom off speech.
Israel is silent so they did it. Does that mean that every killing or bombing in the last 60 years and for which Israel kept silent, was carried out by Israel? Wow.
The Muslim elite are conspiring to attack Israel out of existence on a day in the holiday season when they would be most caught off guard. They don't mind international retaliation and would see it as one massive push for a Jihad sacrifice.
People who objectively study the man who was blown up, and the circumstances, will conclude Israeli involvement. Likely, some mad Israelis used distorted reasoning to somehow calculate that this would 'benefit' Israel strategically. These daily mistakes by Israel are not promoted by true friends of Judaism. Ask yourself why an "ally" of Israel would 'help' it make mistakes.
The U.S. probably did due it... whenever diplomacy fails the U.S. government always resorts to violence
why wouldn't they bame isrl. isrl has been promoting war with Iran for years. isrl wanted this.
My sympathy lies with the family of Professor Mohammadi. It's tragic enough that this poor,talented gentleman should have had his valuable life shortened in this savage fashion.The way that this atrocity is being used by the Iranian regime to make cheap political points is heartless and inhuman. THREE CHEERS FOR ISRAEL!!! THREE CHEERS FOR THE IRANIAN PEOPLE!!!
You are soooooo right.. those greedy you know what are always so quick to call names or respond w/'we can neither confirm or deny'.. ... i'm surprised they didn't scream and cry that 'dos were anti-semitic comments'' suggesting we were behind it.. you are a gross people
America has and uses terrorists of their own.. they are called Israel! And as an American i am thoroughly disgusted that we are so giving to the greedy you know whats.. Sanctions should have been put on Israel along time ago when they murdered our own on the USS Liberty
Probaly more likely true then not. In 50 years when the documents are declassified then we will know lol
It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest that whoever had their finger in this wishes they could take credit for it. Thing is, as soon as the truth was let out of the bag, the smooth-talkers would have to swallow their own words & live with the embarassment of being completely wrong. I guess the folks who are quick to point fingers will always have 3 fingers pointing back at themself.
So just to make sure i am clear the Iranian regime is accusing Us an Israel of the following:of all the iranian scientist that are involved in the nuclear program the US and Israel go out of their way to find and kill one of the few scientists NOT involved in the program and an OPPONENT of the regime. YEAH that's what happened Makes as much sense as the following quote form the article "Such terrorist acts and the physical elimination of the country's nuclear scientists will certainly not stop the scientific and technological process but will speed it up," - HuH? with who? yeah clearly this piece of intellectual gymnastics requires a response from Israel and the US some people you just ignore
Its pretty obvious that Iran picked some Dr. Nobody with only light ties to Nuclear power .. assassinated him themselves and then tried to use it as a story to deflect from their domestic issues. They are trying to rally the country against America because they keep beating and killing rich college kids who's fathers happen to be in the military or political system. Public opinion is turning against them, but more importantly the middle class is as well.
Agree,it is obvious, that is why they have to blame someone else.
The less Israel says the better. I doubt very much Israel killed the scientist. He may have wanted to defect, was a Mousavi supporter and killed by the revolutionary guards or basjii. An accusation from Iran means very little.
This scientist doesn't sound like a high-value target, although going after the soft-target of weapons scientists, rather than the hard-target of buried weapons sites, is intriguing. The MO of the attack, however, was Muslim, not Jewish.
I really appreciate this article. The authors show a fair vision of every side. Really good!
Let's face it. We haven't got a clue who did it. It might as well have been Martians for all we know. Israel isn't likely to admit to this and the Iranian government have an interest to blame certain countries and cannot be trusted either.
Using the Manhattan project as an analogy is itself not particularly revealing since at that time the number of physicists involved exclusively in 'nuclear physics' was quite small and people were drawn from diverse areas for that reason. Theoretical physicists were especially valued for at the time of the project there were many theoretical unknowns and limitations which needed to be overcome, unlike today when the theoretical work is all well understood. However, whilst it is not impossible for this scientist to have been involved in some aspects of nuclear work recently he would hardly have had more than a peripheral role in a country with a plethora of nuclear scientists. With his lack of experience in the field being the pertinent feature. Feynman himself played only a peripheral role in the project. He rose to be a group leader but his role as a junior physicist was more administrative than practical. Your assessment: "I agree with other posters who are inclined to believe it was, given that Israel refuses to comment" is hardly credible grounds for believing anything. If Israel did or did not have a role in assassinating a 'nuclear physicist' they might reasonably be expected to *refuse to comment* in *either* case, unless pressed to make an official comment by some third party nation[s].
Since the Iranian regime said according to preliminary investigation... one can see signs of the Triangle of Evil of the Zionist and American mercenaries. I thought... I'd post the actual pictures form the blast in Tehran. Let's see... if anyone can actually spot those mysterious symbols. Here's a link to the photos... http://www.parsine.com/fa/pages/?cid=15374
Those who want to suspect Israel will no matter what Israel says. The rest of us will suspect Iran the more it says.
Where would be the fun in that?
The man supported the iranian opposition so killing him is an easy play, getting rid of a respected opposant and then blaming Israel and the US to have killed a nuclear expert through the aid of persian opposition group
First of all, we don't know if Israel was behind the attack. I agree with other posters who are inclined to believe it was, given that Israel refuses to comment. But, we really don't know. Second, being a cosmologist and particle theorist does not contradict also being involved in nuclear research. The people who worked on the Manhattan project were both theoretical and experimental physicists who were not focused per se on nuclear physics. For example, Richard Feynman was involved in the Manhattan project, and he was a theoretical physicist best known for his work in quantum field theory, which is not explicitly nuclear physics research but something much more general. Third, three papers is not so many to publish in one year. That leaves plenty of time to also be involved in a military program.
If Israeli PR people were not complete idiots, they would INSTANTLY DENY the charges, and possibly MOCK the ridiculousness of Iran's accusation.
Sounds like the Iranian regime are just covering up an assassination.
Question: Why would the US or Israel participate in this assination? What did they have to gain by killing someone who wasn't even working on Iran's bomb? On the other hand the Iranian government often lies to throw suspicion away from itself. It simply cannot be trusted. I agree with our Senator McCain that the killing of the beautiful Neda was the begining of the end for this Iranian government. The current government seems to have become corrupt. I truly hope the next one is more friendly to its own people. Best wishes to the people of Iran!!
Perhaps Israel is behind this attack. If it is, then it is very possible that this scientist was also involved with Iran's nuclear program. The Mossad is considered an excellent intelligence agency, and so I wouldn't be surprised if their information on this guy is far more accurate than our wild arm-chair speculations.
I am not a supporter of my government, but lets face it, Israel are guilty of commiting one too crimes.
Iranian government did it to foment sympathy to a failed democracy and hide future atrocities. They don't fool anyone not even their own voters.
it is the iranian regime that is making accusations against israel and the u.s.
I repeated error of this article in my post headline. Theoretical, not nuclear. He was a cosmologist and particle theorist. And for bomb building, nuclear physics isn't even the issue any more as much as much as implosion engineering. He had 3 theory papers in 2009, so it looks like he wouldn't have had much time for any bomb stuff on the side, even if here were capable of it.
'Triangle of evil'? Is this Iran's reply to Bush's 'axis of evil' speech ? Have the Iranian's produced any evidence? If they aren't sure there is enough evidence of the Holocaust, they must require a very high level of evidence indeed !
"Israel tight-lipped about mysterious death of Iranian nuclear physicist" His list of published papers makes that claim appear dubious. http://physics.ut.ac.ir/~alimohmd/publics.htm A quantum theorist with diverse fields of interests from 'dark energy'[cosmology]to 'condensed matter physics'.
Nothing to do with bombs. His publications are linked from the URL below. And his students say he hated the regime. He was probably killed by the Iranians. They will have gotten rid of one minor critic, but more importantly it will then be blamed on the US or Israel, and will be used as an excuse for further repression. Now they'll have the War on Terror excuse. Sound familiar? http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/12/students-say-professor-was-government-critic/?ref=world
We have to wait for the Israeli to deny any involvement to know for sure they did it.
israel usually does not comment on matters such as assassinations in other countries.
Just because they are accused means nothing.
Israel is usually rather quick to come out with official denials, when it believes not to have been involved into the killing of civilians/militants in Gaza....
He was friends with many of the opposition in Iran. His death could be related to what is doing on in Iran not anything in Israel. Why would you assume anything else - just because big shot Iranians blame Israel - they blame Israel for lots of things