'US pressurising Israel to end targeting Iranian N-scientists'

Image
Press Trust of India Jerusalem
Last Updated : Mar 02 2014 | 4:45 PM IST
The US is reportedly pressurising Israel to stop targeted killings of top Iranian nuclear scientists, a number of whom have been mysteriously killed, to give diplomatic negotiations with Tehran a chance to succeed.
The issue could come up during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with US President Barack Obama in Washington tomorrow, according to a CBS News report.
Written by CBS Radio correspondent Dan Raviv the report claims that "Israel's espionage agency, the Mossad, ran an assassination campaign for several years aimed at Iran's top nuclear scientists".
Israel, however, has never acknowledged carrying out such operations.
"The purpose of the assassinations was to slow the progress made by Iran, which Israel feels certain is aimed at developing nuclear weapons, and to deter trained and educated Iranians from joining their country's nuclear programme," the investigative journalist said.
Raviv, who co-authored 'Spies Against Armageddon: Inside Israel's Secret Wars' with Israeli journalist Yossi Melman, claims that his report is based on information from 'sources close to Israel's intelligence agencies'.
"At least five Iranian scientists were murdered, most of them by bombs planted on their cars as they drove to work in the morning. Remarkably, the Israeli assassins were never caught, obviously having long-established safe houses inside Iran, although several Iranians who may have helped the Mossad were arrested and executed," the report said.
The report claimed that Mossad officials have also independently concluded that the campaign had gotten too dangerous and that "they did not want their best combatants, Israel's term for its most talented and experienced spies, captured and hanged".
Sources reportedly confided that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now ordered Mossad to focus on hunting for evidence that the Iranians are cheating on the commitments they made in their interim agreement with the P5+1 member states, including the five permanent Security Council members and Germany.
Iranian diplomats reached a framework agreement with the six global powers last November for reducing the extent of the Iranian nuclear programme.
Talks on implementing the framework agreement are currently in progress.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 02 2014 | 4:45 PM IST

Next Story