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| Iran car explosion 'kills nuclear scientist' in Tehran | Iran car explosion 'kills nuclear scientist' in Tehran |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A university lecturer and nuclear scientist has been killed in a car explosion in north Tehran, reports say. | A university lecturer and nuclear scientist has been killed in a car explosion in north Tehran, reports say. |
| Iranian media sources named the casualty as Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, an academic who also worked at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility. | Iranian media sources named the casualty as Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, an academic who also worked at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility. |
| The blast happened when a motorcyclist stuck a magnetic bomb on the car, said Iran's semi-official Fars news agency. | The blast happened when a motorcyclist stuck a magnetic bomb on the car, said Iran's semi-official Fars news agency. |
| Several Iranian nuclear scientists have been assassinated in recent years, with Iran blaming Israel and the US. | Several Iranian nuclear scientists have been assassinated in recent years, with Iran blaming Israel and the US. |
| Both countries deny the accusations. | Both countries deny the accusations. |
| Local sources said Wednesday's blast took place at a faculty of Iran's Allameh Tabatai university. | Local sources said Wednesday's blast took place at a faculty of Iran's Allameh Tabatai university. |
| Two others were reportedly also injured in the blast, which took place near Gol Nabi Street, in the north of the capital. | Two others were reportedly also injured in the blast, which took place near Gol Nabi Street, in the north of the capital. |
| 'Magnetic bomb' | 'Magnetic bomb' |
| Mr Ahmadi-Roshan, 32, was a graduate of Sharif University and supervised a department at Natanz uranium enrichment facility in Isfahan province, Fars reported. | |
| "The bomb was a magnetic one and the same as the ones previously used for the assassination of the scientists, and the work of the Zionists [Israelis]," deputy Tehran governor Safarali Baratloo said. | "The bomb was a magnetic one and the same as the ones previously used for the assassination of the scientists, and the work of the Zionists [Israelis]," deputy Tehran governor Safarali Baratloo said. |
| Witnesses said they had seen two people on the motorbike fix the bomb to the car, reported to be a Peugeot 405. Another person in the car was reported to have been seriously injured. | |
| The BBC's Mohsen Asgari, in Tehran, says that the explosion was caused by a targeted, focussed bomb intended to to kill one or two people and small enough not to be heard from far away. | |
| The latest attack comes almost two years to the day since Massoud Ali Mohammadi, a 50-year-old university lecturer at Tehran University, was killed by a remote-controlled bomb as he left his home in Tehran on 12 January 2010. | The latest attack comes almost two years to the day since Massoud Ali Mohammadi, a 50-year-old university lecturer at Tehran University, was killed by a remote-controlled bomb as he left his home in Tehran on 12 January 2010. |
| Nuclear suspicions | Nuclear suspicions |
| Reports at the time described Dr Mohammadi as a nuclear physicist, but it later appeared that he was an expert in another branch of physics. | Reports at the time described Dr Mohammadi as a nuclear physicist, but it later appeared that he was an expert in another branch of physics. |
| There was also confusion as to whether the attack had any domestic political overtones because of reports about his apparent links to an opposition presidential candidate. | There was also confusion as to whether the attack had any domestic political overtones because of reports about his apparent links to an opposition presidential candidate. |
| However, in August 2011, an Iranian man - Majid Jamali Fashi - was sentenced to death for the killing, with state authorities saying he was paid by Israel's Mossad spy agency. Israel does not comment on such claims. | However, in August 2011, an Iranian man - Majid Jamali Fashi - was sentenced to death for the killing, with state authorities saying he was paid by Israel's Mossad spy agency. Israel does not comment on such claims. |
| Of the latest attack, Fars reports that the bombing method appears similar to another 2010 bombing which injured former university professor Fereydun Abbasi-Davani, now the head of the country's atomic energy organisation. | Of the latest attack, Fars reports that the bombing method appears similar to another 2010 bombing which injured former university professor Fereydun Abbasi-Davani, now the head of the country's atomic energy organisation. |
| There has been much controversy over Iran's nuclear activities. | There has been much controversy over Iran's nuclear activities. |
| Tehran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful energy purposes, but the US and other Western nations suspect it of seeking to build nuclear weapons. | Tehran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful energy purposes, but the US and other Western nations suspect it of seeking to build nuclear weapons. |
| Are you an Iranian scientist? Are you a scientist of Iranian descent? Are you concerned about the pitfalls of such a career? |