Iran-Israel Conflict: Amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, Israel launched a sudden military operation on Friday, explicitly targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. In this high-stakes attack, not only were several civilians and military officials killed, but six top nuclear scientists were also assassinated. According to Iranian news agency Tasnim, among the targeted scientists were Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi and Fereydoon Abbasi—figures regarded as pillars of Iran’s nuclear research establishment.
This strike has reopened old wounds in Iran, reminiscent of a covert operation carried out in 2020 by Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad, which led to the dramatic assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the man considered the architect of Iran’s nuclear program.
Who Was Mohsen Fakhrizadeh—The Shadow Scientist
Despite being one of Iran’s most senior nuclear scientists, Fakhrizadeh was a virtual ghost in the public domain. He had no known photographs, gave no interviews, and never appeared at public events. Within Israeli intelligence circles, he was often described as a "shadow"—unseen but omnipresent.
Western intelligence agencies believed Fakhrizadeh was the head of Project Amad—a classified Iranian initiative from the early 2000s aimed at developing nuclear weapons. In 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly revealed Fakhrizadeh’s name while citing stolen Iranian nuclear archives. From that moment onward, he became a primary target on global intelligence radars.
The 2020 Satellite-Assisted Assassination: No Shooter, Just Precision
On November 27, 2020, Fakhrizadeh was traveling with his wife and bodyguards in a convoy on the outskirts of Tehran. Suddenly, a seemingly abandoned truck appeared along their route. As Fakhrizadeh's vehicle approached, an AI-operated machine gun, hidden within the truck, unleashed a hail of bullets. Miraculously, his wife escaped without injury, but Fakhrizadeh was hit by 15 bullets.
The 7.62 mm machine gun was remotely operated via satellite. The first round of fire shattered the vehicle’s windows, injuring Fakhrizadeh. He exited the car and tried to take cover behind a door, but additional rounds struck his spine. Shortly after the attack, the truck exploded—an intentional move to destroy all forensic evidence.
Mossad’s Signature and Cohen’s Cryptic Confirmation
The sophistication of the operation—carried out without a single Israeli agent on-site—was hailed as a hallmark of Mossad’s covert precision. In a later interview, former Mossad Chief Yossi Cohen subtly confirmed Israel’s involvement, stating, “We knew exactly how to stop him.”
A Repeat of History, A Message to the World
Five years after that legendary operation, the fresh assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists sends a chillingly familiar message: Israel remains committed to halting Iran’s nuclear ambitions—at any cost. These strikes are more than military maneuvers; they are psychological warfare targeting the intellectual backbone of Iran’s nuclear development.
It’s a clear warning—not just to Tehran, but to any nation inching toward nuclear weaponization—that Mossad is still watching... and striking when least expected.
