Top Iranian Nuclear Scientists Killed By Secret Israeli Weapon: Report
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Top Iranian Nuclear Scientists Killed By Secret Israeli Weapon: Report
Nine of Iran’s top nuclear scientists were killed as they slept in their beds, according to Israel’s N12 news outlet. It was the latest move in Israel’s long-time effort to blunt Iranian nuclear ambitions by killing off the people capable of advancing the program. Officials declined to say what this special weapon, “which remains under censorship and has not been disclosed publicly,” was. Israeli intelligence officials told N12 that killing the scientists was the most important part of the opening phase of Operation Rising Lion. The scientists who were eliminated “had been involved for decades in promoting nuclear weapons – an essential component of the Iranian regime’s plan to destroy the State of Israel,’ according to the Times of Israel. The War Zone cannot verify these claims, but as we have previously reported, Israel hit residences of high-value individuals with smaller munitions and Mossad used drones and anti-tank guided missiles inside Iran on the first night of its attack. These targeted assassinations continue today, although not in the same volume seen during the opening acts of the war.
Officials declined to say what this special weapon, “which remains under censorship and has not been disclosed publicly,” was, the Times of Israel explained. The War Zone cannot verify these claims. However, as we have previously reported, Israel hit residences of high-value individuals with smaller munitions and Mossad used drones and anti-tank guided missiles inside Iran (more on those later) on the first night of its attack. These targeted assassinations continue today, although not in the same volume seen during the opening acts of the war. It remains possible that some of these systems were used in the assassination of the scientists.
Dubbed Operation Narnia, #Israel’s opening attack against #Iran saw the simultaneous killing of nine of Tehran’s top ten nuclear scientists in their beds. They were killed using a special weapon whose details were barred from publication. 1/2https://t.co/Tn6uT2rRT4 — Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) June 20, 2025
Target of the assassination in Tehran is a nuclear scientist.
Source: Israeli Channel 12 https://t.co/nExKGCQ5VB — Clash Report (@clashreport) June 20, 2025
Israeli intelligence deliberately orchestrated simultaneous hits as the opening blow of the war to avoid any chance of warning or escape, according to the N12 report. In previous incidents, Iranian nuclear scientists had often been targeted with car bombs and drive-by shootings while commuting. As a result, these public events set off alarms and spurred increased protection for other potential high-value targets.
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For a reason not yet clear, while nine scientists were killed, a 10th scientist escaped the initial attack but was killed later.
“These scientists believed their homes were safe zones,” a senior Israeli official told N12. “They never imagined they would be reached in their bedrooms.”
Israeli intelligence officials told N12 that killing the scientists was the most important part of the opening phase of Operation Rising Lion. Air defenses, ballistic missile systems, and command and control nodes are important and difficult to replace. However, the officials emphasized that “the knowledge of these people is irreplaceable. It takes many years, if any, to regroup these minds who each worked for 20-40 years on the nuclear and weapons program.”
“There is a long-term effect here for more than many years,” the officials added.
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The nuclear scientists who were eliminated “had been involved for decades in promoting nuclear weapons – an essential component of the Iranian regime’s plan to destroy the State of Israel,” according to the publication.
Given the importance of the scientists, Israel monitored them for years using “dozens of researchers in the IDF Intelligence Division’s Research Division,” N12 stated. “This was a combined team of technology researchers and experts in the Iranian arena.”
The operation intensified over the past 12 months, and the scientists became “targets” last November, when the decision was made to strike the opening blow to this war. Operation Narnia “simply wiped out the entire top Iranian nuclear scientists who hold all the knowledge about the nuclear and enrichment [programs].”
According to the Times of Israel, the scientists killed were identified as: “Fereydoon Abbasi, expert in nuclear engineering; Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, expert in physics; Akbar Motalebi Zadeh, expert in chemical engineering; Saeed Barji, expert in materials engineering; Amir Hassan Fakhahi, expert in physics; Abd al-Hamid Minoushehr, expert in reactor physics; Mansour Asgari, expert in physics; Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari Daryani, expert in nuclear engineering; and Ali Bakhouei Katirimi, expert in mechanics.”
ASSASSINATED:
These are the 9 Senior Nuclear Scientists and Experts in the Iranian Nuclear Project that were killed by the IDF.
Each one served to advance the Iranian nuclear project and possessed decades of accumulated experience in the development of nuclear weapons.
All of… pic.twitter.com/6Kp02VJCdm — Edward (@DonKlericuzio) June 14, 2025
Israel has used unconventional means of killing Iranian nuclear scientists before. In November 2020, Iranian officials said that Israel killed a top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh using a machine gun in either a remote-controlled or entirely automated mount on a pickup truck, with no actual human assassins present.
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You can see images of the aftermath of that attack below.
Images allegedly directly from the assassination spot of #Iran chief nuclear scientist Muhsain Fakhrizadeh. https://t.co/VUphKs5KKC pic.twitter.com/xDxSQr9cDb — Aldin ���� (@aldin_aba) November 27, 2020
It remains unclear whether the scientists were killed by a weapon delivered from the air or launched from the ground, possibly in close proximity to its target. As we noted in a previous story, Mossad operatives used remotely operated Rafael Spike precision-guided missile systems during the initial phase of Rising Lion to destroy air defenses around Tehran. These missiles are man-in-the-loop guided and allow operators to fly the missile to a highly specific point before detonation. They can even loiter for short periods of time. Video of that operation emerged on social media, which you can see below.
Images of Mossad operatives in Iran conducting strikes overnight. Appear to possibly use Spike ATGMs to hit air defence assets. https://t.co/01v0na4rbx — ELINT News (@ELINTNews) June 13, 2025
In addition to using the remote Spike systems, Mossad also set up drone production sites in buildings in Isfahan, some 200 miles south of Tehran. In one location, investigators found a “three [story] building being used by Israeli agents to assemble and store UAVs intended for terrorist operations,” the semi-official Tasnim news outlet stated on X. “Officials also found homemade bombs and over 200 kg of explosives.”
WILD �� ��
Iranian state TV: An Israeli three-story drone manufacturing workshop has been discovered in Tehran.
WHAATT?? pic.twitter.com/ZD1qPjJO1r — Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 15, 2025
Israel also pioneered the use of highly maneuverable suicide drones that are totally optimized for missions in dense urban areas, including inside buildings. Such a weapon would be well suited for entering the residence of a high-value target and detonating.
I’ve heard reports about the IDF using small drones but I believe this might be the first documentation of a drone used by Israeli security forces to scout a position in the West Bank (likely Nablus) and then appears to detonate when it enters a building. pic.twitter.com/sJfA0h6199 — Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) February 14, 2023
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Israel’s long-range one-way attack drones, another class of weapon they pioneered, could also be used for these kind of highly-targeted attacks.
Israel has a history of using extraordinary covert methods for killing enemies in the beginning phases of an operation. Days before launching strikes against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants of Lebanon in September 2024, Israel carried out an audacious operation using thousands of exploding pagers and radios to target Hezbollah members. The blasts killed about 30 people and wounded more than 3,000.
Footage of communication pagers worn by Hezbollah members exploding across Lebanon.
Unprecedented incident. https://t.co/gf37usZrxC pic.twitter.com/5VNZKzxEbi — Faytuks News (@Faytuks) September 17, 2024
In another example of how Israel was able to strike at its foes behind the lines in a Tehran ground operation, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was reportedly assassinated in late July 2024 by a bomb smuggled into the guesthouse where he was staying in the Iranian capital, according to The New York Times.
In late July 2024, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in Tehran by a bomb smuggled into the guesthouse where he was staying, according to The New York Times. Via Twitter
Given Israel’s penchant for secrecy, especially during this conflict, it may be some time before we know what killed the scientists. This is especially true if the same methods are still being used.
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
Activists: Over 650 dead in Iran after first week of Israeli strikes
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that 657 people have died and 2,037 have been injured in the nationwide airstrikes. The group said the dead include at least 263 civilians and 164 members of the military.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that 657 people have died and 2,037 have been injured in the nationwide airstrikes.
The Iranian government does not publish daily figures on casualties.
HRANA relies on a broad network of informants and publicly available sources.
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The group said the dead include at least 263 civilians and 164 members of the military. Another 230 fatalities remain unidentified.
The network also reported damage to civilian infrastructure, including a projectile striking a children’s hospital in Tehran, which did not result in any injuries.
In the western province of Ilam, a fire station was damaged, HRANA said, while an Israeli attack on a car factory in western Iran triggered a large fire.
Israel maintains its objective is to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, which it considers an existential threat.
‘Operation Narnia’: How Israel used a ‘secret weapon’ to kill 10 Iranian nuclear scientists during its opening attack against Iran
Israel took out the entire senior command of Iran’s Islamic Republic’s Guards Corp (IRGC) last Friday during the opening strike of its ‘Operation Rising Lion’ Now Israel has released the details of ‘Operation Narnia’, a mission targeting Iran’s nuclear scientists. As part of the mission, Israel killed 10 nuclear scientists, nine of who were simultaneously killed, according to Channel 9. The nuclear scientists were killed using a special weapon whose details were barred from publication, the report added.
Now Israel has released the details of ‘Operation Narnia’, a mission targeting Iran’s nuclear scientists. As part of the mission, Israel killed 10 nuclear scientists, nine of who were simultaneously killed, according to Channel 9.
The nuclear scientists were killed using a special weapon whose details were barred from publication, the report added.
It was Israel’s Intelligence Directorate that came up with the precise plan to kill the top 10 nuclear scientists, many of who were students and successors of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, often regarded as the father of Iran’s nuclear programme. The mastermind behind ‘Project Amad’, Iran’s covert effort to build a nuclear bomb in the early 2000s, Fakhrizadeh was assassinated in 2020 by a robotic sniper, controlled allegedly by Israel.
Israel reportedly created a hit list of the scientists last November. Israeli intelligence officials categorised Iran’s nuclear scientists into four levels, ranking them from highest to lowest priority. The scientists with the most military expertise and the greatest difficulty in replacing them were ranked highest, according to reports.
The plan was devised to target them simultaneously so that there wouldn’t be time for anyone to top off those being targeted. All 10 were at their homes sleeping when Israel killed them, a senior Israeli official tells Channel 12. Israel decided to target them at home because many believed they were safe at home as all previously assassinated nuclear scientists were killed while heading to their cars after work.
The deceased scientists include Fereydoun Abbasi, a nuclear engineering expert, Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi, a physics expert, Akbar Matlali Zadeh, a chemical engineering expert, Saeed Beraji, a materials engineering expert, Amir Hassan Faqahi, a physics expert, Abd al-Hamid Minushahr, a reactor physics expert, Mansour Asgari, a physics expert, Ahmad Reza Davalparki Daryani, a nuclear engineering expert, and Ali Bakhayi Kathehremi, a mechanical expert.
‘Dictator Approved’ statue at National Mall takes aim at President Trump
The 8-foot-tall art installation has been drawing the attention of visitors at the Capitol this week. It is unclear who put it there, but it was first spotted Tuesday near the site where a bronze statue mocking rioters who stormed the Capitol was placed months before. The pedestal of the statue features quotes lauding Trump from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The 8-foot-tall art installation, an apparent criticism of President Donald Trump, has been drawing the attention of visitors at the Capitol this week. It is unclear who put it there, but it was first spotted Tuesday near the site where a bronze statue mocking rioters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, was placed months before.
Along with the golden marking reading “Dictator Approved,” the pedestal of the statue features quotes lauding Trump from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
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“President Trump is a very bright and talented man,” Putin’s quote reads.
“The most respected, most feared person is Donald Trump,” Orban’s quote says.
A passerby takes photos of an installation featuring a cracked Statue of Liberty topped with a golden thumbs-up, and marked with a plaque reading “Dictator Approved” as it sits on the National Mall in Washington, on Thursday. Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI
The statue is permitted to appear on the National Mall, according to a spokesperson from the National Park Service. The permit application, according to the Washingtonian, said the purpose of the statue is to highlight the similarities between the United States hosting last weekend’s military parade and similar parades held under autocratic regimes like North Korea, Russia and China.
“This statue will call attention to that imagery by linking our American traditions to freedom to the actual praising these types of oppressive leaders have given Donald Trump,” the permit application said.