Sign In

Delhi News Daily

  • Home
  • Fashion
  • Business
  • World News
  • Technology
  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Lifestyle
  • Entertainment
Reading: ‘Killed not because they knew physics but … ‘: Israel targets Iran’s nuclear brains; kills 14 scientists – Times of India – Delhi News Daily
Share

Delhi News Daily

Font ResizerAa
Search
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2022 Foxiz News Network. Ruby Design Company. All Rights Reserved.
Delhi News Daily > Blog > World News > ‘Killed not because they knew physics but … ‘: Israel targets Iran’s nuclear brains; kills 14 scientists – Times of India – Delhi News Daily
World News

‘Killed not because they knew physics but … ‘: Israel targets Iran’s nuclear brains; kills 14 scientists – Times of India – Delhi News Daily

delhinewsdaily
Last updated: June 24, 2025 2:59 pm
delhinewsdaily
Share
SHARE


Contents
Scientists killed were actively working on bomb, says IsraelAnalysts say know-how can be regeneratedEuropean powers call for diplomatic resolutionA history of covert strikes and sabotageLegal questions loom over scientist killings
'Killed not because they knew physics but ... ': Israel targets Iran's nuclear brains; kills 14 scientists

Israel’s recent military campaign against Iran reportedly involved the targeted killings of at least 14 senior Iranian nuclear scientists — a move Israeli officials describe as a direct blow to the core of Tehran’s nuclear weapons programme.According to Israel’s ambassador to France, Joshua Zarka, the operation aimed to dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities by eliminating key figures driving its development.The disclosure, made in an interview with the Associated Press (AP), is being viewed as an unprecedented escalation in Israel’s efforts to halt Iran’s atomic ambitions.Speaking to AP, Zarka said the scientists were targeted not for their knowledge alone but for their active roles, he said, “They were killed not because of the fact that they knew physics, but because of the fight that they were personally involved in, the creation and the fabrication and the production of (a) nuclear weapon.”“The fact that the whole group disappeared is basically throwing back the program by a number of years, by quite a number of years,” Zarka told AP.He added, “I do think that people that will be asked to be part of a future nuclear weapon program in Iran will think twice about it.”According to Israeli military officials cited by AP, nine of the 14 scientists were killed in the initial wave of Israeli strikes on June 13. Those killed reportedly included physicists, chemists, materials scientists, explosives experts, and engineers who, according to Israel, had decades of accumulated experience in nuclear weapons development.

Scientists killed were actively working on bomb, says Israel

“They were killed not because of the fact that they knew physics, but because of the fight that they were personally involved in,” Zarka said. He added that these individuals were critical to the production and future advancement of Iran’s nuclear weaponisation plans.Zarka distinguished between theoretical nuclear science and the practical steps involved in weaponising nuclear materials. “It’s one thing to learn physics and to know exactly how a nucleus of an atom works and what is uranium. These people had the know-how of doing it, and were developing the know-how of doing it further. And this is why they were eliminated.”

Analysts say know-how can be regenerated

Despite the scale of the strike, analysts caution that while the killings may delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions, they cannot erase decades of accumulated knowledge.“Blueprints will be around and, you know, the next generation of Ph.D. students will be able to figure it out,” said Mark Fitzpatrick, a former US diplomat and now a senior analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.“Bombing nuclear facilities or killing the people will set it back some period of time. Doing both will set it back further, but it will be reconstituted,” Fitzpatrick added.Fitzpatrick noted that while the top tier of experts may be gone, Iran likely still has a secondary layer of qualified scientists who can step in. “They have substitutes in maybe the next league down, and they’re not as highly qualified, but they will get the job done eventually,” he said.

European powers call for diplomatic resolution

European officials have echoed similar views, warning that military action alone cannot destroy nuclear knowledge. In a statement to the House of Commons, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said, “Strikes cannot destroy the knowledge Iran has acquired over several decades, nor any regime ambition to deploy that knowledge to build a nuclear weapon.”The prevailing view among European governments, according to AP, is that only a negotiated diplomatic solution can fully address the world’s concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme.

A history of covert strikes and sabotage

While Israel has long been suspected of carrying out assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists, it has rarely acknowledged such actions publicly. The latest strikes mark a significant departure, with Israeli officials openly confirming the targeted killings.In 2020, Iran accused Israel of assassinating its top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, using a remote-controlled weapon. Israel did not claim responsibility at the time. Zarka did not directly confirm that Israel was behind Fakhrizadeh’s death, but said: “Iran would have had a bomb a long time ago” if not for repeated setbacks, including accidents and sabotage, many of which Tehran has blamed on Israel.“They have not reached the bomb yet,” Zarka added. “Every one of these accidents has postponed a little bit the program.”

Legal questions loom over scientist killings

The legality of such targeted killings remains contested. International humanitarian law prohibits the deliberate killing of civilians and non-combatants, but some legal scholars argue that nuclear scientists may not be protected under such laws if they are directly participating in hostilities or connected to Iran’s armed forces.“My own take: These scientists were working for a rogue regime that has consistently called for the elimination of Israel, helping it to develop weapons that will allow that threat to take place. As such, they are legitimate targets,” said Steven R. David, a professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University.David compared the situation to World War II, saying Nazi and Japanese leaders would have targeted scientists working on the Manhattan Project had they had the opportunity.However, other legal experts urged caution. “As external observers, we don’t have all the relevant facts about the nature of the scientists’ role and activities or the intelligence that Israel has,” said Laurie Blank, a humanitarian law specialist at Emory Law School, in an email to AP. “As a result, it is not possible to make any definitive conclusions.”Geneva-based nuclear analyst Pavel Podvig also raised ethical and strategic concerns: “The key element is the material. So once you have the material, then the rest is reasonably well-known,” he said. “Then the questions are, ‘Where do you stop?’ I mean you start killing, like, students who study physics? This is a very slippery slope.”





Source link

Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
What do you think?
Love0
Sad0
Happy0
Sleepy0
Angry0
Dead0
Wink0
Previous Article ‘With smartphones and flight tracking…’: Former B-2 pilot on challenges of Operation Midnight Hammer – Times of India – Delhi News Daily
Next Article New York Mayoral Race 2025: How Indian-origin Zohran Mamdani used the Trump playbook; and shook Gotham | World News – Times of India – Delhi News Daily
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • UAE: Emirates expands premium economy services to India and key Middle East destinations | World News – The Times of India – Delhi News Daily
  • Over 500 drones fired at Ukraine: One killed, dozens injured in Russian attack; 14 regions impacted – The Times of India – Delhi News Daily
  • UAE: Abu Dhabi National Energy Company posts AED 28.4 billion revenue in first six months of 2025 | World News – The Times of India – Delhi News Daily
  • Who is Charles Borges? SSA whistleblower quits after flagging DOGE data leak; writes blistering email | World News – The Times of India – Delhi News Daily
  • Labor Day 2025 in US: Date, meaning, origin, and significance | World News – The Times of India – Delhi News Daily

Recent Comments

No comments to show.

You Might Also Like

World News

‘Endless H-1B stamping cycles’: Reddit user wants to move to India after 15 years – Times of India – Delhi News Daily

A Reddit user who spent 15 years in the US shared the pitfalls of being an H-1B visa holder. While…

5 Min Read
World News

Jeff Bezos texted to send a plane with a case of tequila for his Venice wedding, Chamath Palihapitiya reveals in X post | World News – Times of India – Delhi News Daily

Jeff Bezos and tequila are making headlines as the billionaire added a last-minute shot of luxury spirits to his $50…

6 Min Read
World News

Scorching heat hits New York: Governor declares state of emergency; Heatwave set to break 125 year record – Times of India – Delhi News Daily

New York Governor Kathy Hochul (Image credit: AP) New York governor Kathy Hochul on Monday declared a state of emergency…

5 Min Read

Musk vs Trump: Steve Bannon raises suspicion about Elon’s ‘black eye’, says it will come up in ‘one of the drug investigations’ – Times of India – Delhi News Daily

Steve Bannon says the mystery of Elon Musk's black eye will now come up in some drug investigations. Donald Trump's…

5 Min Read

Delhi News Daily

© Delhi News Daily Network.

Incognito Web Technologies

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?