In addition to military and political leaders, a number of scientists were also liquidated in the Israeli attack on Iran. This aspect is of particular interest.
Irrespective of the legal or even moral judgement of this action, the efficiency with which Israel has purposefully and consistently eliminated individual experts from the field of military nuclear research over the years is remarkable: Traffic accidents, bombings, poisonings and now targeted military operations.
The Israeli intelligence agencies have a precise idea of the group of people they consider relevant for military nuclear research. These people are observed over long periods of time and located again and again. The Mossad also draws on information from opposition groups within Iran.
So far, the names of the following scientists have been published:
- Fereidoun Abbasi-Davani
- Mohammad Mehdi Teranchi
- Abdulhamid Minouchehr
- Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari
- Amirhossein Feqhi
- Motalibizadeh
Despite clear warnings and existing sanctions, the EU – first and foremost Italy and Germany – is a paradise for Iranian scientists: many of them not only come from strictly sanctioned institutes, but can also further expand their military science expertise at renowned universities and universities of applied sciences in various German federal states. Some of them have returned to Iran to apply their newly acquired knowledge in drone and missile development or nuclear research. Others remain at a German university to take up a professorship or other duties. Four of the six people killed so far have had links to two sanctioned institutions: Islamic Azad University and Shahid Beheshti University. Doctoral students and academics from both institutions continue to research and work undisturbed in Germany – and in other EU countries.
It is worrying to see how much the proliferation of know-how is neglected or completely ignored in the EU. It is obvious that there is a problem here that the responsible security authorities have no knowledge of or even experience in dealing with. It must be assumed that there is no expertise on this topic within the authorities. In addition, there is no meaningful and coordinated cooperation with the respective opposition groups in exile, which have their contacts and offices within the EU.
Jang Seiul