The slaying of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan suggests a widening covert effort to set back Iran’s atomic program. The attack in Tehran bore a strong resemblance to earlier killings of scientists working on the Iranian nuclear program. It is certain to amplify authorities’ claims of clandestine operations by Western powers and their allies.
Tehran has accused Israel’s Mossad, the CIA and Britain’s spy agency of engaging in an underground “terrorism” campaign against nuclear-related targets, including at least three slayings since early 2010 and the release of a malicious computer virus known at Stuxnet in 2010 that temporarily disrupted controls of some centrifuges — a key component in nuclear fuel production. Israeli officials, however, have hinted about covert campaigns against Iran without directly admitting involvement.
Safar Ali Baratloo, a senior security official, said the attack was the work of Israelis. “The magnetic bomb is of the same types already used to assassinate our scientists,” he said. Roshan, 32, was inside the Iranian-assembled Peugeot 405 car together with two others when the bomb exploded near Gol Nabi Street in north Tehran. Roshan’s driver later died at a hospital from wounds sustained in the attack.
The United States and some allies say Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons technology. Iran denies the allegations, saying that its program is intended for energy and medical research.
“Instead of actually fighting a conventional war, Western powers and their allies appear to be relying on covert war tactics to try to delay and degrade Iran’s nuclear advancement,” said Theodore Karasik, a security expert at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis.
He said the use of magnetic bombs bears the hallmarks of covert operations. “It’s a very common way to eliminate someone,” he added. “It’s clean, easy and efficient.”