Person Involved in Fakhrizadeh Assassination Not Member of Iran Armed Forces
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces issued an explanatory statement about an individual engaged in the plot to assassinate top Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh in November.
The statement, issued on Tuesday, came a few days after Iranian Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi said the main element who had made arrangements for the assassination of Fakhrizadeh has been identified as a former employee of the Armed Forces.
The General Staff made it clear in the statement that the person cited by the minister of intelligence had been undergoing training in the Iranian year 1393 (2014/2015), but was fired from the forces in the same year because of ethical problems and addiction.
Moreover, the statement added, that person never joined the Armed Forces formally and was discharged from the military during training courses.
Since the individual has been totally disconnected from the Armed Forces after expulsion in year 1393, the person had no military status and dealing with the security crimes committed in that case is within the purview of the Intelligence Ministry, like other ordinary citizens, the statement added.
Fakhrizadeh, a senior nuclear and defense scientist, was assassinated in a small city east of Tehran on November 27.
In a message after the incident, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei called on all relevant administrators to “investigate this crime and firmly prosecute its perpetrators and its commanders” and “to continue the martyr’s scientific and technological efforts in all the sectors where he was active.”
