Daily US Times: Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has blamed Israel for the killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a top nuclear scientist, on Friday, and said it would not slow down the country’s nuclear programme.
Mr Rouhani also said Iran would retaliate over the killing at a time of its choosing.
The top Iranian scientist was killed in an ambush on his car by gunmen in the town of Absard, east of the capital Tehran.
Israel has not commented on the matter yet, but it has previously accused him of being behind a covert nuclear weapons programme.
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was Iran’s most renowned nuclear scientist, who headed the ministry of defence’s research and innovation organisation.
His killing threatens to escalate tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme with the United States and its close ally Israel.
On Saturday, President Rouhani said Iran would respond “in due course” but that Fakhrizadeh’s killing would not push his country into making hasty decisions.
In a televised cabinet meeting, he said: “Iran’s enemies should know that the people of Iran and officials are braver than to leave this criminal act unanswered.”
He added: “In due time, they will answer for this crime.”
In an earlier statement, Mr Rouhani accused the “the mercenaries of the oppressive Zionist regime” – referring to Israel – of being behind the killing.
“The assassination of martyr Fakhrizadeh shows our enemies’ despair and the depth of their hatred… His martyrdom will not slow down our achievements.”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran Supreme Leader, also called for the “punishing” of the perpetrators of the attack “and those who commanded it”, in a tweet on Saturday.
His military adviser, Hossein Dehghan, had earlier vowed to “strike” the attackers like thunder.
There has been no comment from Israel on the killing. The New York Times quotes three US officials, including two intelligence officials, as saying Israel was behind the attack.
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