The Mossad used a remote‑controlled machine gun mounted on a pickup truck, operated via satellite, to carry out the attack.

By Hezy Laing

In November 2020, the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran’s most prominent nuclear scientist, sent shockwaves through the Middle East and beyond.

Fakhrizadeh, often described as the father of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, was ambushed outside Tehran in a meticulously planned operation that bore the hallmarks of Israeli intelligence.

According to reporting in the Washington Post, the killing was not an isolated act but part of a broader campaign by Israel to dismantle what it viewed as Iran’s “brain trust” of nuclear expertise.

Fakhrizadeh had long been a target. Western intelligence agencies believed he played a central role in Project Amad, Iran’s covert effort to design a nuclear warhead in the early 2000s.

Although Iran insisted its nuclear program was peaceful, Fakhrizadeh remained under international scrutiny, with the International Atomic Energy Agency repeatedly citing his name in reports.

Israel, which has consistently opposed any Iranian nuclear capability, considered him indispensable to Tehran’s ambitions.

Eliminating him was seen as a way to cripple Iran’s progress by removing not just a scientist but a symbol of continuity and expertise.

The operation itself was extraordinary.

Reports suggest that Israel used a remote‑controlled machine gun mounted on a pickup truck, operated via satellite, to carry out the attack.

Fakhrizadeh’s convoy was struck on a highway east of Tehran, and despite the presence of bodyguards, he was fatally wounded.

Iranian officials quickly blamed Israel, while Israeli leaders maintained their customary silence.

The sophistication of the strike underscored Israel’s ability to penetrate deep inside Iranian territory, raising questions about Tehran’s vulnerability and the reach of Mossad.

The assassination was part of a larger pattern.

Over the past decade, at least five Iranian nuclear scientists have been killed in operations widely attributed to Israel.

Each attack was designed to slow Iran’s program, sow fear among its scientific community, and signal that expertise itself could be targeted.

The Washington Post noted that this campaign was aimed not only at physical infrastructure but at the human capital driving Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

By removing key figures, Israel hoped to create gaps that could not easily be filled.

The fallout was immediate.

Iran vowed revenge and accelerated uranium enrichment, while hardliners used the killing to argue against engagement with the West.

For Israel, the strike reinforced its red line: it would not allow Iran to reach nuclear weapons capability.

The United States, then under President Donald Trump, tacitly supported Israel’s aggressive stance, though the operation complicated diplomatic efforts.

Ultimately, the killing of Fakhrizadeh highlighted the shadow war between Israel and Iran, fought through sabotage, cyberattacks, and targeted assassinations.

It demonstrated Israel’s willingness to act unilaterally to protect its security and underscored the precarious balance of power in the region.

By targeting the “brain trust,” Israel sought not only to delay Iran’s nuclear program but to reshape the strategic landscape for years to come.