Israel killed Iranian nuclear scientist Fakhrizadeh with full US acknowledgment, cooperation: Analyst

A recent report about the assassination of top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh shows that Israel perpetrated the heinous act not only with the full acknowledgment of the United States but with their full cooperation, a London-based political analyst says.

Hafsa Kara Mustapha, journalist and political analyst, made the comment during a Sunday edition of Press TV’s Spotlight program while commenting on a New York Times report that said Israel’s spying agency, Mossad, had used a remote-controlled “killer robot” to kill Fakhrizadeh near his countryside residence in Absard, east of Tehran, last year.

The paper said Israel had kept Fakhrizadeh under surveillance “for at least 14 years,” and to carry out the assassination, the regime used a special model of the Belgian-made FN machine gun that was attached to a robotic instrument and required no on-site operatives.

“This was done not only with full acknowledgment of the US but with their full cooperation,” Kara Mustapha told Press TV, adding that the regime, apart from backing of the US, had the backing of the EU and “that’s why Israel is acting in such a roguish manner.”

The New York Times said the Mossad team handled the whole operation from a command center outside the country after mounting the computerized machine gun on a blue Zamyad pickup truck and placing it on the way of Fakhrizadeh’s convoy.

The report stressed that Israel had been closely following Fakhrizadeh’s career and movements since 2007 and began making preparations for an assassination operation in late 2019 and early 2020, following a series of meetings between Israeli officials led by then-Mossad director Yossi Cohen and high-ranking United States officials, including former US President Donald Trump, ex-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the former CIA director Gina Haspel.

Asked whether Israel was after creating an “image of invincibility” by admitting to such acts, the London-based analyst said, “It is about saying that we can do whatever we want and won’t be held accountable for that. What the Israeli regime really likes to do is show off to the world that they are invincible because they have the unconditional backing of the United States.”

The analyst denounced the inaction of Western nations and international organizations about such assassinations despite their claims about fighting terrorism.

“These imperialist nations were built on terrorism, were built on the violation of the basic rights of the people and the countries they colonize. For these nations, these supremacist nations, countries of the south essentially are disposable; the lives of their people do not have the same values as those of Western nations,” she said.

“These supposedly international NGOs are simply there to provide more often than not the casus belli for countries to go to war; we’ve seen this many times. Amnesty International is literally backing up accusations that are made up essentially by Western nations,” she added.

The analyst stressed Iran’s resistance against Western pressure and said the country has so far refused to capitulate despite crippling sanctions from the US.

“The idea of a powerful, sophisticated, well-structured Islamic nation is something that is really problematic for Western nations,” Kara Mustapha said. “If Iran was not an Islamic Republic, I think it would be less problematic for Western countries. This constant propaganda against Iran is simply because the Western nations cannot fathom the idea of a strong regional power in the Middle East, especially a strong regional Islamic power in the Middle East.”

Mossad assassinated Iran’s top nuclear scientist with 'killer robot': NYT

Israel’s spying agency, Mossad, used a remote-controlled “killer robot” to assassinate Iran’s top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh last year, a US media report says.

'Double standards behind spread of terrorism worldwide'

Mostafa Khoshcheshm, journalist and political commentator from Tehran, was the other panelist invited to the Spotlight program. He said the details in the New York Times report were “nothing new” and have already been clear to Iranian officials.

Khoshcheshm said Israel takes credit for “highly-valued targets,” and blasted international organizations, such as the United Nations, for their lack of actions, stressing, “Double standards have caused the spread of terrorism all across the globe”

The political commentator pointed to the West’s enmity towards Iran, saying, “Iran is trying to stand independent, Iran is the major obstacle that they see in the Middle East that has prevented them from establishing their order and hegemonic rule over the Middle East in order to get to China fast and try to slow down its economy.”

Khoshcheshm added, “Iran is a role model in the region and the US has already said it will not allow any county like Iran to become a role model for other nations in the region because they are in pursuit of their illegitimate interests in the region and Iran is the only nation that is standing outright against them.”

Fakhrizadeh, who headed the Iranian Defense Ministry’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research, was assassinated on November 27, 2020.

Following the assassination, Iranian officials said that Israel had acted with US intelligence and carried out the targeted killing of the prominent nuclear scientist.

Tehran has vowed harsh revenge for the iconic scientist’s murder. 

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