UAE, Jordan denounce killing of top Iranian scientist

World+Biz

TBS Report
30 November, 2020, 12:00 pm
Last modified: 30 November, 2020, 12:08 pm
Turkey was the first country to condemn the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on 28 November

he United Arab Emirates and Jordan condemned the assassination of Iran's top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, calling for restraint.

UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement condemning the "heinous" terrorist attack against Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

"Given the current situation in the region, the UAE calls upon all parties to exercise maximum degrees of self-restraint to avoid dragging the region into new levels of instability and threat to peace," reads the statement issued on Sunday.

The ministry called Friday's assassination of scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in an ambush east of Tehran a "heinous" act that could fuel more conflict in the Middle East. It called on pursuing "all means for stability in the region."

Jordan's foreign ministry voiced similar condemnation. Its spokesman stressed "the necessity of joining forces with all efforts to reduce tension, prevent escalation in the region, and protect security and stability."

Turkey was the first country to condemn the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on 28 November.

Fakhrizadeh, who headed the Iranian Defense Ministry's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), was targeted on Friday in a multi-pronged attack involving at least one explosion and small fire by a number of assailants in Absard city of Damavand County, Tehran Province.

Iranian government officials and military commanders have hinted that the Israeli regime could have been behind the terror attack, vowing harsh revenge against all the criminals involved.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reported that Israel was behind the assassination, citing three US officials.

"One American official — along with two other intelligence officials — said that Israel was behind the attack on the scientist," the paper said.

"It was unclear how much the United States may have known about the operation in advance, but the two nations are the closest of allies and have long shared intelligence regarding Iran," it added.

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in a message ordered to punish perpetrators of terrorist attack.

In his message, the Supreme Leader called Fakhrizadeh "the country's prominent and distinguished nuclear and defensive scientist." Khamenei, who has the final say on all matters of state, said Iran's first priority after the killing was the "definitive punishment of the perpetrators and those who ordered it." He did not elaborate.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani joined top officials Saturday in accusing Israel of killing the top nuclear scientist. It is an attack that is fanning the flames of tension in the region.

The attack drew anger and outrage across Iran. A large group of protesters gathered outside Rouhani's office late Friday in Tehran and demanded strong retaliation.

It is the second high-profile assassination of an Iranian since January when a US airstrike killed Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad.

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