Iranian nuclear scientist’s killing prompts vow of revenge

Iran has vowed to retaliate after the architect of its nuclear program was killed near Tehran in a major escalation of tensions.

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was ambushed with explosives and machine-guns at Absard, 70km east of Tehran, the Iranian ministry of defence confirmed.

His bodyguard and family members were wounded.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif blamed Israel was probably to blame, and an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed retaliation.

Israel will face accusations that it is using the final weeks of the US Trump administration to provoke Iran in the hope of closing off any reconciliation between Tehran and the Joe Biden administration.

Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli Defence Force intelligence, said “such a move could lead Iran to a violent response which would provide a pretext for a US-led attack on Iranian nuclear facilities”.