Arrests made in scientist's killing: Iranian official

By Muhammed Kursun

TEHRAN (AA) – Iran has arrested some people believed to be involved in the assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, an official said on Tuesday.

Security agencies have identified “the parties that ordered the assassination and arrested some of the perpetrators,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, special aide to Iran’s parliament speaker on international affairs, told a local news channel.

The official did not give any number or details about the arrests, telling Iran’s Al-Alam TV that the relevant authorities will announce more information.

Fakhrizadeh, 63, who headed the research and innovation at Iran’s Defense Ministry, was killed on the outskirts of the capital Tehran on Nov. 27.

Top Iranian leaders, including President Hassan Rouhani, have accused Israel of orchestrating the assassination and vowed retaliation.

He is the fifth prominent Iranian nuclear scientist to be killed since 2010, with Tehran pointing the finger at Israel for all the attacks.

* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat