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Iran accuses Germany, France in nuclear scientist assassinations
Iran has added Germany and France to the list of countries it claims are behind the assassination of several of its nuclear scientists.
Iranian Intelligence Minister Heidar Moslehi said Friday that German and French intelligence services were involved in the assassination plots, in addition to the United States, Israel and Britain, the countries Tehran had previously accused, according to Iran’s Press TV.
The fifth scientist to be killed since 2007 was targeted in January when a motorcyclist
attached an explosive device to a car.
The accusations against France and Germany come just days after the European Union enacted tough sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, and as the EU institutes an embargo on importing Iranian oil.
Iran has participated in several rounds of talks this year with the P5+1 group, the five permanent UN Security Council nations plus Germany. But thus far the talks have not led to substantive agreements, as Iran is pushing for the sanctions to be lifted, something the United States and European Union countries are opposed to doing.
Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, while the United States and Western allies suspect Iran is seeking nuclear weapons.
Two weeks ago, Moslehi said that the architects of the scientists’ assassinations had been identified and arrested, according to Iranian news reports.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in January pinned the assassinations on the CIA and Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency.
At the time, U.S. officials denied involvement in the assassinations, while Israeli officials were more cagey about their suspected involvement.
