An Iranian nuclear scientist was killed in a Tehran car bombing on Wednesday that the Islamic republic immediately blamed on Israel and the United States, worsening a tense international standoff over its atomic programme.
Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi told state television the attack would not stop Iran making “progress” in its nuclear activities.
Iranian officials noted that the assassination method — two men on a motorbike attaching a magnetic bomb to the target’s vehicle — was similar to that used in the killings of three other of its scientists over the past two years.
Iran’s parliament erupted with yells of “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” after Wednesday’s attack.
Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, 32, died immediately in the blast, which occurred in front of a university campus in east Tehran.
His driver/bodyguard later died of his wounds, the Fars and ILNA news agencies reported. A third occupant of the Peugeot 405 was wounded and in hospital.
Ahmadi Roshan was a deputy director at Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility, according to the website of the university he graduated from a decade ago, Sharif University.
He was specialised in making polymeric membranes to separate gas. Iran uses a gas separation method to enrich its uranium.
Iran’s atomic energy organisation issued a statement, quoted by the country’s Arabic broadcaster Al-Alam, confirming Ahmadi Rosham “was working in the nuclear industry.”
It said “the futile actions by the criminal Israeli regime and America will not disrupt the path the Iranian people have chosen” and nuclear activities will continue.
“This terrorist act was carried out by agents of the Zionist regime (Israel) and by those who claim to be combatting terrorism (the United States) with the aim of stopping our scientists from serving” Iran, Rahimi told state television.
