at least 14 nuclear scientists It is believed that among those killed in the operation of Israel Rising LionOn June 13, 2025, Iran’s nuclear program and military capabilities were launched to destroy or degrade.
Deliberate The objective of is to be interrupted Iran’s knowledge base and continuity in nuclear expertise. Among those who murdered Were Mohammad Mehdi TehrachiA theoretical physicist and head of Iran’s Islamic Azad University, and Phardoun Abbasi-DavaniAn nuclear engineer who led Iran’s nuclear power organization.
Collectively, he was a specialist in physics and engineering Potential successor Mohsin Fakhrizadeh is widely considered as the architect of the Iranian nuclear program, which was assassinated In November 2020, Israel attacked several defects.
As two Political Scientist Writing a book about the targeting of the state of scientists as a counterprofalization tool, we well understand that nuclear scientists have been targeted since the onset of the atomic era. We have collected data on about 100 examples about “scientific targeting” from 1944 to 2025.
The most recent murder campaign against Iranian scientists is different from several episodes before some major methods. Israel’s recent attack targeted many nuclear experts and took together with military force to destroy Iran Nuclear facilitiesAerial rescue and Energy infrastructureAlso, unlike the previous secret operation, Israel immediately Claimed responsibility For murders.
But our research indicates that Targeted Can’t be effective for scientists RenunciationRemoving individual expertise may delay nuclear acquisitions, targeting alone is unlikely to destroy a program lump sum and even the country’s desire for nuclear weapons may increase. In addition, concerns related to targeting scientists can be triggered Validity and morality,
A policy with a long history
Targeting nuclear scientists began during World War II when friendly countries and Soviet forces Went to capture Nazi scientists, Adolf Hitler reduced the ability to make atomic bombs and used its expertise to carry forward the US and Soviet nuclear programs.
In our data set, we classified “targeting” as cases in which scientists were caught, threatened, injured or killed because nations tried to prevent opponents from receiving weapons of mass destruction. Over time, at least four countries have targeted scientists working on nine national nuclear programs.
The United States and Israel have allegedly carried out the most attacks on nuclear scientists. But the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union have also been behind such attacks.
Meanwhile, scientists working for Egypt, Iranian and Iraqi nuclear programs have been the most frequent targets since 1950. Since 2007 and before the current Israeli, 10 scientists involved in the Iranian nuclear program were killed in attacks. Citizens from other countries have also been targeted: In 1980, Israel’s intelligence service, Mossad allegedly bombed Italian engineer Mario Fioreli’s house and their firm, snia tacket, one. Warning to European people Iraqi nuclear project included.
Given this history, the fact that Israel has attacked Iran’s nuclear program is not surprising itself. In fact, it has been a strategic goal of the prime ministers of gradual Israel to prevent Iran from receiving nuclear weapons, and Experts were warning Due to regional dynamics and Iranian nuclear development, an Israeli military operation from mid -2024 in the increasing chances of operation.
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By then, the balance of power in the Middle East had changed dramatically. Israel systematically degraded the leadership of Iranian proxy and infrastructure Hamas And Hizbullahit Later destroyed Iranian wind protects around Tehran and near major nuclear installations. Fall after Syria’s Assad rule Cost Tehran has been running for a more long timeTogether, in these developments Quite weak IranLeave it insecure and snatched it to external attack Its once created a proxy networkWhich was expected to retaliate on his behalf in the event of enmity.
With its proxy “axis of resistance”, and traditional military capacity is degraded, the Iranian leadership may have thought that it was its best condition to expand its enrichment capacity.
And in the leading months for Israel’s recent attack, Iran expanded its nuclear production capacity, 60% move beyond uranium enrichmentA technical step is lower than the weapon-grade material. During Donald Trump’s first term, President Withdraw America From a multilateral non -proliferation agreement with the aim of curbing Iran’s nuclear program. After joining again, Trump Tax appeared to change By pursuing new diplomacy with Iran, but those dialogues have so far failed to give an agreement – and can be kept in hold for the future of the war.
Recently, International Atomic Energy Agency of Board of Governors Iran announced in non-transportation Its atomic-non-non-nounprofalification with obligations. In response, Iran announced that it was Expand its enhancement capacity By adding advanced centrifuge technology and a third enrichment site.
Even if the international community estimated a wide attack on Iran, the characteristics of targeting are amazing. Historically, states have targeted individual scientists. But recently several-scientific attacks occurred openly, Israel took responsibility, publicly indicated the purpose of attacks. In addition, it is not new for a country to use several counter-proliferation tools against an opponent over time, that Israel is using both Preventive military power The infrastructure and targeted scientists are uncommon at a time.
Additionally, such attacks against scientists are historically low technology and low cost, with gunmen, car bombs or accidents. In fact, Abbasi – who was killed in the most recent attacks – one survived 2010 car bombing In Tehran. However, Fakhrizadeh is an outlear including murder, which is painted Distance -operated machine guns Smuggled in Iranian region.
Israel’s argument in going after scientists
Why nuclear scientists are targeted?
In foreign policy, many equipment are available if the purpose of one state is to prevent another state from receiving nuclear weapons. Along with targeting scientists, there are there restrictions, Diplomacy, Cyber ​​attack And military force,
Targeted scientists can overcome important scientific expertise and apply costs that increase the difficulty of manufacturing nuclear weapons. Supporters argue that targeting these experts can reduce state efforts, indicating the crisis of continuing nuclear growth and supporting others.
Therefore, countries that target scientists believe that doing so is an effective way to degrade an anti -nuclear program. Actually, Israel Defense Force The most recent attacks described “A significant blow to the ability of governance to achieve weapons of massive destruction.”
Fatmeh Bahrami/Anadolu through Getty Image
Despite the attention of Israel on scientists as sources of significant knowledge, there may be there Thousands Working inside Iran, questioning the efficacy of targeting them. Also, there are Legal, moral and moral concern On targeting scientists.
In addition, it is a risky option that may fail to disrupt an enemy nuclear program by increasing public outrage and calling for retaliation. This is especially the case if scientists are often considered citizens, Elditive as martyrs,
Targeted expeditions, as a result, can strengthen domestic support for a government, which can later re -create efforts towards nuclear development.
Even though targeting scientists is an effective counter-proliferation tool, it has been around since the beginning of the nuclear era-and probably will remain as part of the foreign policy toolkit for states with the aim of preventing spread. In the case of the current Israeli conflict and targeting of nuclear scientists with Iran, we hope that the duration of the war will continue and beyond it.
Jena jordanAssociate Professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology And Rahel whitalarchAssociate Professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of TechnologyThis article has been reinstated Conversation Under a Creative Commons License. read the Original article,
