Canada’s silence on the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist is troubling
Written by: Waseem Shehzad
Since the assassination of Dr Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran’s top scientist and physicist, on Friday November 27 outside Tehran, there has been no word of condemnation from the Canadian government.
Such silence is troubling and can only be interpreted as encouraging state terrorism.
Dr. Fakhrizadeh’s car was ambushed at a round-about just outside Tehran.
Iran’s top scientist, who was travelling with his wife, sustained serious injuries. He was rushed to hospital but did not survive.
According to information from Tehran, an ambush was set up for him. As the convoy of cars together with his security detail, approached the round-about, shots were fired at his car.
Dr. Fakhrizadeh came out of his car to see what was going on.
Iran’s Defence Ministry said that it was at that time that a pick-up truck with a machine-gun mounted on it opened fire hitting him three time.
It is believed the machine-gun was operated automatically. There was no one in the attacking vehicle.
A nearby parked Nissan car rigged with explosives, also blew up.
While the nuclear scientist and physicist’s assassination has drawn condemnation from the European Union, Russia and a number of other countries, Canada has remained silent so far.
It is widely believed that Zionist Israel was behind this latest terrorist act.
“The multi-pronged attack involved at least one explosion and small fire by a number of assailants in Absard city of Damavand County, Tehran Province,” Press TV reported.
Quoting Fars News Agency, Press TV said that Dr. Fakhrizadeh headed the Iranian Defense Ministry’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND).
His lab had produced the test kit for Covid-19.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif roundly condemned the terror attack, saying there were “serious indications” of the Israeli regime’s role in the assassination of Fakhrizadeh, a professor of physics at Imam Hussein University of Tehran.
“Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today. This cowardice—with serious indications of Israeli role—shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators,” he said in a tweet.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had mentioned Dr Fakhrizadeh’s name during a presentation in April 2018.
Netanyahu had darkly hinted: “Remember that name, Fakhrizadeh.”
When asked about the assassination and Israel's involvement in it on Friday (November 27), Netanyahu did not reply directly but stated with a cynical smile: "It has been a week of achievements."
He repeated baseless claims about Iran’s nuclear program while Israel reportedly possesses as many as 400 nuclear weapons.
The Zionist regime had on numerous occasions in the past attempted to assassinate Dr. Fakhrizadeh.
As a state sponsor of terrorism, the Zionist regime has worked through the terrorist outfit, the Mujahideen-e Khalq Organization (MKO).
This tiny but violent group of extremists has the backing of many Western regimes, including the US and France as well as Saudi Arabia.
Iran’s Leader, Seyyed Ali Khamenei has said Iran should pursue this investigation vigorously and apprehend the criminal agents and their enablers inside Iran.
He also urged the authorities to continue the work of Dr. Fakhrizadeh.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have also vowed to avenge the assassination of Dr. Fakhrizadeh.
Agnes Callamard, the UN human rights expert and the special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, condemned the terrorist act as a violation of the UN Charter and international human rights law.
“An extraterritorial targeted killing, outside an armed conflict is a violation of international human rights law prohibiting the arbitrary deprivation of life and a violation of the UN Charter prohibiting the use of force extraterritorially in times of peace,” she said in a tweet.
— Agnes Callamard (@AgnesCallamard) November 27, 2020
Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt suggested that the assassination could be part of plots to block the incoming Joe Biden administration from re-engaging in diplomacy with Iran.
Meanwhile, three US officials said that Israel was behind the assassination of Dr. Fakhrizadeh.
“One American official — along with two other intelligence officials — said that Israel was behind the attack on the scientist,” The New York Times reported on Friday.
The New York Times summarized the “chilling message” that “American officials” wanted to send to top scientists in Iran with the assassination of Fakhrizadeh: “If we can get him, we can get you, too.”
There is even speculation that the assassination plot was discussed between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Netanyahu and Saudi crown prince Muhammad bin Salman when the trio met in Neom City on November 22.
If true, this would make the three officials accomplices in a terrorist act.
Between 2010 and 2012, five Iranian nuclear scientists were assassinated in Tehran, again by Zionist agents.
If the international community is serious about preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, it should make the Middle East a nuclear free zone.
Every country in the region should be forced to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, as Iran has done.
Assassinating nuclear scientists will not deter the spread of nuclear weapons.
Waseem Shehzad is a writer for Crescent International, an international Newsmagazine.
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