Iran arrests suspects behind murder of nuclear scientist

Iran arrests suspects behind murder of nuclear scientist

2011-01-11 10:47:15 GMT+7 (ICT)

TEHRAN, IRAN (BNO NEWS) -- The Iranian Intelligence Ministry on Monday announced the arrest of suspects behind the assassination of a nuclear scientist last year, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Massoud Ali Mohammadi, an Iranian university professor and nuclear scientist, was killed in January 2010 as a bomb planted in his motorcycle exploded in front of his house in Tehran. No previous arrests had been made until Monday.

The ministry added that the identification and apprehension of the terrorists was the culmination of an extensive investigation. However, Iranian authorities did not disclose the identities or the number of suspects detained.

Authorities said that the detainees were members of a spying and terrorist network affiliated to Israel. No evidence was given to sustain the claims but, last year, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blamed Israel for the scientist's murder.

On November 29, 2010, two other nuclear scientists were killed in separate bomb attacks in Tehran. Dr. Majid Shahriari and Professor Fereydoun Abbasi were the targets of the terror attacks and Ahmadinejad blamed both the U.S. and Israel for perpetrating the bombings.

Days later, Iranian authorities announced the capture of a number of perpetrators of the November attacks. The subsequent interviews revealed Israel's direct role in the attacks, as claimed by Iran although few evidence has been provided.

Iran has since claimed that both Israel and the United States have hatched numerous plots to stop its nuclear progress through different measures, including sanctions and the assassinations of scientists and university professors.

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