Iran is promising retaliation after the assassination of a scientist who is believed to be involved in the development of that country’s nuclear weapons. The AP reports:

In a statement, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called Fakhrizadeh “the country’s prominent and distinguished nuclear and defensive scientist.”

Khamenei said Iran’s first priority after the killing was the “definitive punishment of the perpetrators and those who ordered it.” He did not elaborate.

Speaking to a meeting of his government’s coronavirus task force earlier Saturday, President Hassan Rouhani blamed Israel for the killing.

The New York Times says “One American official — along with two other intelligence officials — said that Israel was behind the attack.”

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, which Israel considers its most potent threat.

The Washington Post adds that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani  also “tied the killing to President Trump’s coming departure from office.”

Trump — who withdrew the United States from a nuclear pact that Iran struck with world powers five years ago — has ramped up sanctions and other pressures on Tehran since walking away from the deal aimed at reining in Tehran’s nuclear program. President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to work more closely with allies on Iran policies and work to rejoin the nuclear agreement.

Former CIA Director John Brennan wrote, “This was a criminal act & highly reckless. It risks lethal retaliation & a new round of regional conflict. Iranian leaders would be wise to wait for the return of responsible American leadership on the global stage & to resist the urge to respond against perceived culprits.”

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