Iran scientist ‘ killed by remote- controlled weapon’

IRAN believes that Israel and an exiled opposition group used a remotely- controlled weapon to kill top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on Friday.

In a speech at Fakhrizadeh’s funeral in Tehran, security chief Ali Shamkhani said the attackers “used electronic equipment” and were not present at the scene. He gave no further details.

The Iranian defence ministry initially reported that Fakhrizadeh was shot when several gunmen targeted his car. Israel has not commented on the claims.

Fakhrizadeh played a crucial role in Iran’s nuclear programme in the early 2000s and more recently had been accused by Israel of continuing to help in the secret development of a nuclear weapon. Iran insists that its nuclear activities are entirely peaceful.

The funeral ceremony for Fakhrizadeh was held at the defence ministry in Tehran. His remains were then transferred to a cemetery in the north of the capital. Iranian state television showed the flag- draped coffin being carried by troops, and senior officials including Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi,

Revolutionary Guards commander Gen Hossein Salami and nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi paying their respects.

Rear Admiral Shamkhani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security

Council, told the ceremony that Iranian intelligence and security services had been aware of a plot to assassinate Fakhrizadeh, and that they had even predicted where the attack might take place.