In one of its deadliest attacks involving drones and more than 200 fighter jets, Israel killed at least six nuclear scientists in Iran in the early hours of Friday.
Tel Aviv claims that Iran is building an atomic bomb, but Tehran denies it is pursuing nuclear weapons.
Over the years, many Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed in operations widely attributed to Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad. Israel rarely confirms its involvement in such operations.
Here is a timeline of high-profile assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists allegedly by Israel in recent years.
Ardeshir Hosseinpour – January 2007
A nuclear physicist and lecturer at Shiraz University and Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Hosseinpour was an expert in electromagnetism and a key figure in Iran’s nuclear research, particularly at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center.
Some reports suggested that he had been asphyxiated “following a gas leak”, but Iranian intelligence said it was convinced that Hosseinpour was a victim of Israel.
Stratfor, a prominent US private intelligence company and research group, also claimed in a February 2007 report that Hosseinpour was killed by Mossad.
Masoud Ali Mohammadi – January 2010
A physics professor at the University of Tehran, Mohammadi was a nuclear scientist with expertise in particle physics and quantum field. He was part of a nuclear research programme tied to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
He was killed by a remote-controlled bomb attached to a motorcycle parked near his car outside his home in Tehran. The explosion shattered windows in his apartment building and injured two bystanders.
Iran held Israel and the US responsible for his assassination and arrested 10 Iranian citizens for allegedly working for Mossad.
Majid Shahriari – November 2010
A nuclear engineering professor at Shahid Beheshti University, Shahriari was a key figure in Iran’s nuclear programme.
He was killed when motorcyle-borne assassins attached a magnetic bomb to his car in Tehran traffic, detonating it remotely. His wife was wounded in the attack.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, then president of Iran, blamed the attack on the Zionist regime and its Western backers.
The attack was part of a coordinated effort on the same day targeting another scientist, Fereydoon Abbasi Davani, who survived. Subsequently, Iran blamed Israel and the US for the assassination bid.
Darioush Rezaeinejad – July 2011
An electrical engineering PhD candidate and researcher at a national security facility, Rezaeinejad was reportedly working on high-voltage switches critical for nuclear warhead triggers at the time of his death.
Two gunmen on motorcycles shot him five times outside his home in Tehran after he picked up his daughter from kindergarten. His wife was also wounded in the attack.
Iranian officials denied Rezaeinejad’s nuclear involvement, but foreign sources linked him to the programme. Israel was widely blamed, with a Der Spiegel report citing Mossad’s involvement.
Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan – January 2012
A chemical engineering graduate and supervisor at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, Roshan was a key figure in Iran’s nuclear enrichment efforts.
Two killers on motorcycles attached a magnetic bomb to his car in Tehran during his morning commute. The explosion killed Roshan and his driver, injuring others nearby.
Iran accused Israel and the US, with officials noting the method mirrored earlier attacks.
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh – November 2020
Widely regarded as the architect of Iran’s military nuclear programme, Fakhrizadeh was the head of the Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND). He had been a target of Israeli intelligence for 15 years.
In a sophisticated operation, he was killed by a remote-controlled, AI-powered machine gun mounted on a Nissan pickup truck near Tehran.
The one-tonne weapon, smuggled into Iran in pieces, was operated by a Mossad team from a command centre outside the country. The truck exploded after the attack to destroy evidence.
Iran accused Israel, with reports suggesting the operation delayed the country’s nuclear programme significantly.
June 2025
In the latest drone and jet strikes in Iran on Friday, Israel has reportedly killed six nuclear scientists, namely Abdolhamid Minouchehr, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, Seyed Amirhossein Feqhi, Motlabizadeh, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and Fereydoun Abbasi.
