Iranian academician Dr. Yaser Ershadmanesh told us that Iranian academicians “will keep going in an even stronger way,” emphasizing that the Fakhrizadeh assassination will not prevent Iran’s scientific and technological advancement.
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, one of the key figures in the Iranian nuclear program, was not only a scientist, but also Iran’s Deputy Defense Minister. Fakhrizadeh, who also served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was said to be as important to Iran as General Qasem Soleimani, who was murdered by the United States early this year.
After the death of such a prominent figure, discussions about possible avenues for revenge started across the country.
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif said that “Iran will not fall into the trap of notorious war proponents and radical Zionists.”
‘DATA POINTS TO THE CIA AND MOSSAD’
We talked with Iranian Academician Dr. Yasser Ershadmanesh about the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the key figure of the Iranian nuclear program, and the discussions that have followed.
“The available data cause us to think that this terrorist act was carried out in cooperation with CIA, MOSSAD and the People’s Hypocrites terrorist organization (The People’s Mujahedin Organization),” Dr. Ershadmanesh stated, arguing that this action aims to prevent Iran’s nuclear technology from reaching the level achieved before the Nuclear Deal.
Emphasizing that Iran’s nuclear energy studies are not dependent on one person, Ershadmanesh stated that they generally ensure the continuity of the studies by transferring the technological advances they have achieved to many students. Ershadmanesh said, “For this reason, this coup will not be able to deter Iran from its path and will not cause great damage to Iran scientifically.”
“WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO RESPOND”
Dr. Yasser Ershadmanesh emphasized that the ongoing arguments in the international community stating that Iran should be moderate and not take any action of response were unacceptable, and added: “This is because, Iran sees this situation as the country has the right to respond to such actions, and with responses given to the attacks before such as the shooting down of an unmanned aerial vehicle and the military operation to Ayn-al Assad, Iran has shown that it has the capacity to respond and is determined to use this capability.”
Ershadmanesh declared that the Iranian public opinion agreed that this assassination should not be left unanswered and a counter-response action should be taken despite different orientations from different segments.
‘IT DOES NOT MATTER IF IT IS BIDEN OR TRUMP’
“In this respect, there is no different whether the president is Trump or Biden,” Ershadmanesh said, pointing out that this operation is beyond any specific US president.
“We signed the Nuclear Agreement in the Obama era, but our scientists working on nuclear technology were also martyred in the Obama era with similar terrorist acts. When we evaluate it from this point of view, it doesn’t matter who the US president is in determining imperialist policies,” Ershadmanesh stated, continuing that the opinion of a vast majority of the public the no return to the Obama-era nuclear deal would be possible despite Biden coming into office.