Latest news with #FereydounAbbasi
LeMonde
08-07-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
How Israel tracked down and assassinated scientists involved in Iran's nuclear program
Thousands of supporters of the Iranian regime marched along Enghelab Avenue, in central Tehran, on Saturday, June 28, behind the coffins of victims of Israeli strikes that decimated the country's security apparatus. On that day, the Islamic Republic held state funerals for its high-ranking officers and several nuclear scientists killed during the first bombings, an unprecedented wave of assassinations in the country's history. Admiral Ali Shamkhani, reported dead on the first day of the war and then rumored to have lost a leg, reappeared for the occasion, wounded but standing on his own two legs, leaning on a cane. The bodies of the scientists were laid to rest in a Shiite mausoleum in the impoverished Rey neighborhood, where dignitaries of the regime and artists are buried. Israel had tracked these men's every move for two decades. The country had already attempted to assassinate one of them, Fereydoun Abbasi, in 2010. This physicist, a zealous ideologue, as pious as he was hard-working, had jumped out of his car with his wife just before a bomb, believed to have been planted by Israeli agents, exploded. So began the first wave of assassinations of Iranian scientists attributed to Israel. Abbasi went on to become vice president of the country and head of its Atomic Energy Organization – a vantage point from which he fought against any international agreement that would restrict Iran's nuclear program. He died on June 13. He was buried alongside colleagues linked to the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND, its Persian acronym): a center suspected of having conducted research since the 1990s aimed at militarizing the uranium enriched by Iran, in order to acquire the capability to assemble a nuclear weapon, should the regime choose to do so.
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First Post
27-06-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Killing the programme, one mind at a time: Inside Israel's Operation Narnia
During the operation, Israeli intelligence classified Iran's nuclear scientists into four tiers based on priority for elimination, ranking them from highest to lowest threat. Those with the most critical military knowledge and hardest to replace were placed at the top read more Israel's 'Operation Narnia' against Iran was a well-coordinated and much-sought-after mission that culminated after years of planning. The 12-day-long conflict between Israel and Iran reportedly killed members in the central leadership of the IRGC as well as nuclear scientists believed to be working at uranium enrichment sites of the country. While the US largely took credit for 'destroying' Iran's nuclear facilities after it joined the conflict over the weekend, Israel's 'Operation Narnia' brought supposed victory to the country by eliminating people associated with Tehran's nuclear programme. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Here's how the mission took shape: 'Operation Narnia': The improbable attack Israel was initially unsure if it could conduct the operation when its military began charting out some plans more than a decade ago. The name reflects the operation's improbable nature, something that cannot happen in reality and is straight out of fantasy. During the operation, Israeli intelligence classified Iran's nuclear scientists into four tiers based on priority for elimination, ranking them from highest to lowest threat. Those with the most critical military knowledge and hardest to replace were placed at the top. Israel then drew up a hit list, ready to be activated on command, with the most dangerous figures leading the list. The precision of the strikes was made possible by the Intelligence Directorate's inputs. The scientists who were targeted and eventually killed in the attacks were pivotal to Iran's nuclear program. The nine eliminated scientists, according to the Jerusalem Post, are: Fereydoun Abbasi, a nuclear engineering expert Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi, a physics expert Akbar Matlali Zadeh, a chemical engineering expert Saeed Beraji, a materials engineering expert Amir Hassan Faqahi, a physics expert Abd al-Hamid Minushahr, a reactor physics expert Mansour Asgari, a physics expert Ahmad Reza Davalparki Daryani, a nuclear engineering expert Ali Bakhayi Kathehremi, a mechanical expert How was the operation planned? '120 individuals from Military Intelligence and the Air Force were brought into a facility in Unit 8200 to plan the operation. By January, the pressure was mounting as no solutions had been found. The consensus was clear - we needed to develop solutions targeting air defense systems,' a senior IDF official told JP. Over the past year, Israel started building a target database and made a breakthrough after locating an intelligence base and an air force base. Still, the list of targets was insufficient. Different teams were assigned specific objectives like taking out nuclear scientists, destroying command centres, and disabling radar systems, which marked the beginning of Operation 'Rising Lion,' the official added. Operation Narnia operated in concert with the larger overt air campaign Operation Rising Lion. An op that took decades to plan Operation Narnia was not a product of short-term planning. It took several years since the mid-1990s for Israel to finally launch the mission earlier this month. During the 90s, Israel identified signs of Iran's nuclear weapons ambitions. In response, it built a covert network inside Iran to carry out sabotage missions, including assassinations of nuclear scientists and attacks on enrichment facilities. But officials eventually concluded that only a direct airstrike could fully dismantle Iran's nuclear program. But an airstrike was a long shot considering Israel's size and resource strain at the time. However, by 2008, the country tested its long-range strike capabilities with Operation Glorious Spartan, sending over 100 fighter jets to Greece to simulate a mission to Iran. Over the next several years, Israel weakened Hamas and Hezbollah, and Syrian opposition forces toppled the pro-Iran regime. With a new anti-Iran government in place, Israel gained unimpeded access to Syrian airspace, removing a key barrier to launching a full-scale strike.
Middle East Eye
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Parnia Abbasi: Iranian poet killed by Israel whose bright future became a 'fading star'
'In a thousand places I come to an end I burn I become a fading star that disappears in your sky.' This short poem was written by Parnia Abbasi - a young woman who had yet to celebrate her 24th birthday before, on 13 June, an Israeli missile hit her home in the Sattarkhan neighborhood in western Tehran. Parnia was killed along with her father, her mother and her 16-year-old brother Parham. Parnia, a poet with no ties to any military institution in Iran, was a graduate of Qazvin International University, where she studied English translation. She was teaching English and had just started a job at Bank Melli. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters It was supposed to be a turning point - finally a stable path. 'She had a very gentle spirit. She always dreamed of becoming a great poet," said one of her friends, who asked to remain anonymous, speaking to Middle East Eye. "One of her biggest joys was reading poetry. I used to envy her for how many poems she knew by heart.' Following the news of her death, some pro-Israel users and opponents of the Iranian government falsely claimed that Parnia was the daughter of Fereydoun Abbasi, the former head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, and had been killed alongside him. But it was later confirmed that she had no relation to Fereydoun Abbasi. Her father's name was Parviz - a retired Bank Melli employee. All four members of her small family died in the Israeli strike. The building's collapse made it difficult even to retrieve their bodies. The attack targeted Block 4 of a ten-unit apartment complex in Sattarkhan, destroying apartments from the third to fifth floors. It's believed that nearly all residents on those floors were killed. #ParniaAbbasi, a poet and English teacher, was killed in her sleep. It was the night of June 12, when her apartment on Sattar Khan Street in Tehran was struck by #Israeli attack.#Tehran #WarOnIran #Israel — Hana (@HanaNabavi) June 16, 2025 'Usually, people are either good at literature or math - not both. But she loved both. Literature and poetry were her passion, and we always saw her with a poetry book in hand," said one of Parnia's relatives, who also didn't want to be identified. "At the same time, because her father had worked in banking for many years, she also grew to like numbers and dreamed of working in a bank. In the end, she achieved that dream.' Another friend spoke about the day she got her job offer: 'That day, her eyes sparkled more than ever. She was overjoyed - finally a stable job. She had so many dreams. She loved to travel, wanted to see the world. But above all, she loved being in nature.' Blood-stained bedsheet A photo of Parnia's hair on a blood-soaked pink bedsheet went viral inside Iran and left many devastated. She quickly became a symbol of the toll that Israel's new bombing campaign has taken on the civilian population of Iran since it began last week. Despite earlier claims from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that they were only targeting Iran's military infrastructure, the civilian death toll has climbed into the hundreds. Zahra Rahnavard, wife of Mir Hossein Mousavi and a prominent figure in the reformist Green Movement who remains under house arrest, mentioned Parnia by name in a statement on 17 June condemning Israel's attacks. 'Weren't they claiming the strikes are only on nuclear facilities? Then how did our dear Parnia become a victim?' - friend of Parnia 'Women are always the first civilian victims. From Parnia Abbasi, the young poet and translator, to dozens of others, women have lost their lives due to the aggression of Israel's woman-killing, child-killing regime," she said. Parnia's home was struck as part of an Israeli operation reportedly targeting a nuclear scientist who taught at Shahid Beheshti University. While he was believed to be the main target, other homes in the area, including Parnia's, were also destroyed. She was not the only young woman to be killed in the Israeli strikes on Iran. But the images of her - a vibrant poet with a bright future - captured public attention in a unique way. Like the poem she once wrote, she came to an end, burned out, and faded into the sky like a dying star. 'Weren't they saying they only target military personnel? Weren't they claiming the strikes are only on nuclear facilities? Then how did our dear Parnia become a victim?" asked one of her friends. "How does her death align with what Israel's supporters claim? Isn't this just the killing of innocent civilians?'
India.com
15-06-2025
- Politics
- India.com
These six people took Iran's nuclear programme to next level with exceptional contribution until June 13 when..., they were...
New Delhi: Israeli jets destroyed many military and nuclear sites in Iran on June 13, 2025. Their main focus was on in and around Tehran and Natanz. This attack eliminated some of the most prolific names engaged in the Persian country's nuclear programme and the top brass of the military. However, a few names stand out due to the vital knowledge and expertise. They were the pioneers in Iran's nuclear project. They include Fereydoun Abbasi, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, Motlabizadeh, Syed Amirhossein Feqhi, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari and Abdolhamid Minouchehr. These six scientists were on the radar of Israel's establishment. Let us try to figure out what their deaths mean to Iran. Abdolhamid Minouchehr: Abdolhamid Minouchehr was a nuclear physicist at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran and widely celebrated for his work on uranium enrichment. Minouchehr played a crucial part in advancing Iran's centrifuge systems at Natanz. It was due to his research that Iran could enrich uranium to 20% purity. Ahmadreza Zolfaghari: Ahmadreza Zolfaghari was also from Shahid Beheshti University. He specialised in the design and upkeep of advanced centrifuges. Ahmadreza Zolfaghari had worked with the teams at Natanz and Fordow. He and the teams at Natanz and Fordow pushed the limits of IR-8 technology, an Iranian model capable of enriching uranium at unprecedented speeds. Seyed Amirhossein Feqhi: Seyed Amirhossein Feqhi was a reactor design expert. Seyed Amirhossein Feqhi's work on the Arak heavy water reactor marked a key milestone in Iran's ambitions to produce plutonium. He was deeply involved in the safety architecture of nuclear facilities. Motlabizadeh: Motlabizadeh was an engineer and a senior leader within Iran's Atomic Energy Organization. He was closely linked to dual-use research straddling nuclear technology and ballistic missiles. According to multiple defense analysts, he played a role in developing the trigger mechanisms for nuclear weapons and that made him a prime target. Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi: Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi was president of the Islamic Azad University. He was a physicist who played a vital role in bridging academic research with Iran's nuclear infrastructure, shaping young talent to sustain the country's nuclear programme over the next decade. Fereydoun Abbasi: Fereydoun Abbasi was a former chief of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran and a UN-sanctioned person for his alleged work on nuclear weaponisation. The killing of these professionals has hurt Iran's nuclear programme badly.
NDTV
14-06-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Photos Show Israel's Incredible Precision To Take Out Iran's High-Ranking Officials
Israel launched unprecedented strikes against Iran on Friday, targeting the country's nuclear programme and several military leaders and nuclear scientists. The attack, aided by coverst Mossad operations, incloved smuggled weapons and internal sabotage, crippling Iranian defences. Explosions rocked Tehran, Isfahan and Qom, resulting in significant damage and the death of high-ranking Iranian officials. However, what made the strikes unlike any in recent history was not the scale, but the surgical precision. The Israeli Air Force jets, guided by precise intelligence, targeted nuclear facilities, military commanders, and soldiers, destroying dozens of radars and surface-to-air missile launchers. Image credit: Reuters The aftermath pictures of the Israeli air strikes against Iran show single apartments blown out of Tehran high-rises. Another photo shows a precise hole through the side of a building, again destroying just one apartment. Meanwhile, nearby buildings in the densely packed neighbourhood appear to be remarkably unaffected by the missile strike. A third picture shows just three floors bombed out, and the rest of the residence undisturbed. Image credit: Reuters One picture shows a bombed-out apartment in the Iranian high-rise, a residence supposedly known to be associated with Iranian Revolutionary Guard top brass. Image credit: Reuters The Iranian Air Force also released videos showing how the country struck Iran's air defence system in its western region with great precision. 🎯 The IAF continues striking dozens of surface-to-surface missile launchers in Iran. — Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) June 14, 2025 Another video showed Iranian Air Force fighter jets destroying ballistic missiles directly aimed at Israel. INCREDIBLE: Israeli Air Force fighter jets destroyed ballistic missiles aimed directly at Israel. 🇮🇱 Total precision. Zero hesitation. – IDF Spokesperson — Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) June 13, 2025 Israel's military said that the strikes had caused significant damage. Key Iranian commanders were killed, including the chief of staff of the armed forces and the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Nuclear scientists Fereydoun Abbasi, Ali Shamkhani, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and four others were also killed. The Jewish state also targeted numerous key locations of Iran's nuclear program in the Thursday onslaught, which continued late into Friday night. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli attack was launched to protect the country from Iran's threat. The operation was meant to stop serious threats from Iran, but it would take several days to do this, reported The Guardian. "We targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz. We targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb. We also struck at the heart of Iran's ballistic missile programme," he said. In retaliation, Iran launched 100 drones towards Israel, with the Israeli Military saying its air defences were intercepting them outside Israeli territory. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has warned Israel it faced a "bitter and painful" fate over the attacks.
