SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iran has arrested a number of Kurds over the killing of an Iranian nuclear scientist in the past four days, according to a human rights organization.
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who had little public profile in Iran but had been named by Israel as a prime player in what it says is Iran’s nuclear weapons quest, was killed on Nov. 27 when he was ambushed on a highway near Tehran and his car sprayed with bullets.
Hengaw Organization for Human Rights said in a statement on Wednesday that Iran’s revolutionary guards had inspected houses of more than 30 people in Baneh city since Sunday.
“The forces were looking for owners of some photos which they were holding,” said Hengaw, which monitors human rights abuses in Iranian Kurdistan.
“Internet and phone lines have also been cut off by the Iranian authorities in Baneh,” it added.
The watchdog further said 20 people had been detained during the campaign, but identity of the detainees remained unclear.
Iran’s clerical and military rulers have blamed Israel for Fakhrizadeh’s killing, which has raised the prospect of a new standoff between Tehran and its longtime enemy.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the killing, and one of its officials suggested that the Tasnim report of the tactics used was a face-saving gambit by Iran.
Deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Ali Fadavi said the killing of Fakhrizadeh was carried out remotely with artificial intelligence and a machine gun equipped with a “satellite-controlled smart system”.
“No terrorists were present on the ground… Martyr Fakhrizadeh was driving when a weapon, using an advanced camera, zoomed in on him,” Fadavi said.
“The machine gun was placed on a pick-up truck and was controlled by a satellite,” he added.
“Some 13 shots were fired at martyr Fakhrizadeh with a machine gun controlled by satellite… During the operation artificial intelligence and face recognition were used,” Fadavi said. “His wife, sitting 25 centimeters away from him in the same car, was not injured.”
Fakhrizadeh was the fifth Iranian nuclear scientist killed in targeted attacks since 2010 inside Iran, and the second slaying of a high-ranking Iranian official in 2020.
