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Until the death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the country’s top nuclear scientist, most Iranians had no idea about him. But those who monitor the country’s nuclear program know it well. According to Israeli and Western intelligence, he was the mainstay of Iran’s nuclear program.
The Iranian media, however, downplay Fakhrizadeh’s importance. They describe him as a scientist who has been involved in research to create a test kit to detect coronavirus in recent weeks.
Mark Fitzpatrick of the International Institute for International Studies, a London-based think tank that monitors Iran’s nuclear program, tweeted after the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. “Iran’s nuclear program is now in a state where it is no longer dependent on a single person,” the tweet read.
Fakhrizadeh was accompanied by several bodyguards when he was attacked. So it’s clear how much Iran values its security. As a result, Iran’s nuclear program was not linked to his assassination, but rather politically motivated.
Possible motive for the murder
So far there appear to be two possible motives behind this murder. First, it destroys any prospect of better relations between Iran and the Joe Biden government. Second, provoke Tehran into taking revenge.
In his first speech since the assassination of Mohsen Fakhriad, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said: “The enemy has been in turmoil for the past few weeks. They understand that the world situation is changing. For the rest of the time, they try to create instability in the world. region.
There is no doubt that Rouhani refers to the Trump administration of the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia as enemies.
Israel and Saudi Arabia are concerned about the tide of change in Middle East politics. Both countries are concerned about the potential impact of Joe Biden’s takeover.
During the election campaign, Biden made it clear that he wanted to return to the nuclear deal with Iran. In 2015, the Barack Obama administration was the main driving force behind this agreement. But in 2016, Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the deal.
Many Israeli and Western media outlets reported on a secret meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Saudi city of Neum on Sunday. He said the two countries’ concerns about Iran were discussed at the meeting.
According to various reports, Netanyahu was unable to persuade the Saudi prince to establish diplomatic relations with Israel at that meeting in New York. However, the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister denied that such a meeting had taken place.
On Monday, the day after a meeting between the Israeli prime minister and the Saudi prince, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a missile attack on an oil plant in Jeddah. Saudi Arabia may see this as an opportunity for revenge.
Following the missile strike, Iranian extremist media reported that the Houthis had launched the Quds-2 (Iran-made) long-range missile attack.
“The missile attack is a strategic move,” Iran’s Meher news agency reported. After the Saudi-Israeli meeting, the two countries received a warning message that they should think 10 times before doing anything against Iran. The Trump administration has expressed support for Saudi anger over the missile strike.
Trump’s plan to attack Iran
Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton writes in his book, The Room Where It Happened, how the Trump administration views Iran’s support for the Houthi rebels in Yemen as an attempt to undermine US interests in the Middle East.
Trump’s Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo also arranged a meeting between the Saudi prince and the Israeli prime minister. Before the meeting, he visited Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to speak about Iran.
According to US media reports, two weeks ago, President Trump consulted with his advisers on ways to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. Trump was probably thinking of taking a one-handed look at Iran before his departure.
Trump has spoken openly about the assassination of Iranian military commander Qasim Solaimani in a drone strike in January. Although a UN official called the killings “illegal,” Trump publicly announced that Qasim Solaimani had been killed on his orders.
In the current context, the possibility of Trump approving the assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh cannot be ruled out. However, the Iranian president has directly blamed Israel for the killings.
“Remember the name Mohsen Fakhrizadeh,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on a live TV show in 2016, referring to Fakhrizadeh’s role in Iran’s nuclear program.
Israel knows that Joe Biden will remain committed to its security. But they are concerned that Biden’s candidate for secretary of state, Anthony Blinken, is a strong supporter of a nuclear deal with Iran.
Israel may also be concerned that Blinken’s approach will benefit the Palestinians somewhat. The potential new US secretary of state did not like that the Trump administration recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s legitimate capital. Although Joe Biden has said he will not change Trump’s decision on Jerusalem.
Iran’s Hesitation
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that those responsible for the murder of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh will be punished. But within the country, there has been talk of security and intelligence vulnerabilities. Mohsin Rezaei, an influential commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, said: “We need to uncover the spies who are leaking information to foreign intelligence agencies.”
Many on social media in Iran wonder how a security scientist could be killed in broad daylight when the government brags about his military and intelligence skills. Arbitrary arrests within the country for the killings are also feared.
At a time when Israel and Saudi Arabia are losing a key ally in Trump’s departure, Iran hopes Joe Biden will lift a lot of sanctions that will help them recover economically. As a result, they do not want to do anything right now to avenge the murder of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. Source: BBC Bangla.
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