Israel confirms killing 14 Iranian nuclear scientists in targeted strikes

Israel killed at least 14 Iranian scientists in a series of targeted operations aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear weapons programme, Israel’s ambassador to France Joshua Zarka reportedly confirmed this week.

According to Zarka, the individuals killed were not targeted for merely being physicists or academics, but because of their alleged direct involvement in developing nuclear weapons. 

In his remarks to the Associated Press, the ambassador stated that these scientists were “not killed because they knew physic”, but rather because of the roles they played in the “creation, fabrication, and production” of nuclear arms.

The Israeli military reportedly confirmed that nine of the 14 scientists were eliminated during the opening wave of attacks on June 13. These strikes were part of a broader and highly coordinated offensive aimed at disrupting what Israel views as Iran’s clandestine military nuclear activities.

Zarka emphasised that Israel differentiates between civilian nuclear research and those who contribute to weapons development. “It’s one thing to study nuclear science,” he reportedly said, “and quite another to apply that knowledge to building a nuclear bomb.”

On Tuesday, Iranian state media reported the death of another nuclear scientist, Mohammad Reza Sedighi Saber, in an Israeli strike. Saber had earlier survived an attack that killed his 17-year-old son on June 13, but was later confirmed to have died from subsequent injuries.