Israel reportedly warned some former nuclear scientists about Iranian revenge attacks in the aftermath of the killing of one of Iran’s top atomic scientists.
Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster, reported on Friday that some scientists who used to work at the country’s Dimona nuclear reactor were briefed by the government and told to take precautions in light of the attack. One scientist said he was instructed to change set walking routes and be cautious about suspicious packages, according to the Times of Israel.
The scientist also said authorities warned him the Iranians were likely monitoring his social media and his other online activities.
“The Iranians tried in the past to carry out attacks against senior Israeli officials overseas. I doubt they have the ability to carry out such an attack in Israel,” said Nitzan Nuriel, former director of the Counter-Terrorism Bureau in the prime minister’s office. “Nevertheless, people need to be cautious.”
The Jewish state’s National Security Council also issued advisories warning Israelis traveling abroad that they need to be vigilant during the fallout of the killing, which Israel is suspected of orchestrating.
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the leading Iranian nuclear scientist, was killed on Friday when his convoy was ambushed on a rural road about 40 miles east of Tehran. The attack was a blow to Iranian military and intelligence entities, which were not able to stop the killing and have yet to arrest any suspects.
Initial reports said there was an explosion followed by up to a dozen gunmen opening fire on Fakhrizadeh and his entourage. Blame for the killing has been levied within the government, and some officials have even made the spurious claim that there were actually no gunmen and that Fakhrizadeh’s death was actually the result of a robot machine gun mounted on a parked vehicle.
Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed revenge following the attack and placed blame for the assassination on Israel.
