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However, unknown to most Iranians until Friday when he was assassinated, nuclear researcher Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was familiar with those involved in Iran’s nuclear program. Western security and intelligence sources also knew him quite well and considered him a key figure in Iran’s nuclear weapons development program, the BBC writes.
The Iranian press tried, before his assassination, to minimize the importance of Fakhrizadeh, presenting him as a scientist and researcher involved in the development of a local test prototype for Covid-19. But we know that Fakhrizadeh was constantly accompanied by various bodyguards, which indicates the seriousness with which Iran was trying to protect him.
Therefore, a possible conclusion would be that the motive for the assassination, for which no one assumed it, is more political than related to Iran’s nuclear activities.
Possible motivations for Fakhrizadeh’s assassination include jeopardizing an improved relationship between Iran and the United States in the context of Joe Biden’s inauguration as president on January 20, 2021. A second possible motivation would be to incite Iran to retaliate. .
“Our enemies are going through stressful weeks. They are aware that the world situation is changing and are trying to take advantage of the last days that remain to destabilize the region,” said Hassan Rouhani, President of Iran.
Obviously, when Rouhani speaks of “enemies” he refers to the Trump Administration, which is about to leave the White House after the November 3 elections, but also to Israel or Saudi Arabia, its main rivals in the region. Israel and Saudi Arabia also fear a possible Middle East policy shift and its consequences once the US president-elect takes office.
Biden spoke openly that he wants the United States to return to the Iran agreement, negotiated and signed by his former boss, President Barack Obama in 2015. The United States abandoned the agreement in 2018, following Donald Trump’s ambition to neutralize foreign policy achievements. of its predecessor.
How would Donald Trump take advantage of the conflicts and interests of the Middle Eastern actors?
Israel and Saudi Arabia’s concerns about Iran have been discussed in what the Israeli press described as a “secret meeting” between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Neom last Sunday. The Saudi foreign minister denied that the meeting had taken place. However, Netanyahu failed to persuade bin Salman to normalize relations between the two countries during the meeting.
On Monday, however, Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked a building belonging to the Saudi oil giant Aramco. The Iranian press hailed the attack as “a heroic Quds-2 ballistic missile attack.” The Iranian news agency Mehr described the attack as “a strategic move, well timed with the meeting between Israelis and Saudis to warn them to calculate their movements well.”
The Americans also shared Saudi anger over the attack by the Houthi rebels. The meeting in Neom was reportedly hosted by Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who had just visited Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, where Iran had once again been the main topic of discussion.
Two weeks earlier, President Trump had asked his advisers if there were viable options to attack Iran’s main nuclear site, according to US media. The incumbent president appeared to be trying to initiate a direct confrontation with Iran before ending his term and then letting Joe Biden handle the crisis. Given that Trump not only supported the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, but even bragged about being the mastermind behind it, there is confirmation that the president of the United States would have no problem ordering an assassination.
The Iranian president, however, blamed Israel for killing Fakhrizadeh, and Netanyahu was one of the few world leaders who spoke openly about the Iranian scientist; In 2018, in a televised presentation, she spoke about her role. Fakhrizadeh on Iran’s nuclear program urged his audience to “remember this name.”
While Israel has no doubt or reason to doubt America’s commitment to its security during Joe Biden’s upcoming presidency, there may be concerns that future head of American diplomacy, Anthony Blinken, is a strong supporter of the nuclear deal. with Iran.
Publisher: Adrian Dumitru
