Iran Confirms 14th Nuclear Scientist Killed in Israeli Strike
Iran says nuclear scientist Ithar Tabatabaei Ghomshe and his wife were killed in an Israeli missile strike, the 14th such killing since June 13. Israel confirmed the operation, calling it a delay to Iran’s nuclear ambitions by 2–3 years amid ongoing conflict.
By Kamaran Aziz
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Iranian state media on Saturday reported the killing of another nuclear scientist in an Israeli missile strike, marking the 14th such assassination since the outbreak of the Iran-Israel war on June 13, 2025.
According to Iran’s Mehr News Agency, Ithar Tabatabaei Ghomshe, an Iranian nuclear scientist, was killed while at home in what the outlet described as a targeted Israeli missile strike. His wife was also reportedly killed in the same attack.
The news adds to a growing list of Iranian nuclear personnel who have been killed in what Israel describes as preemptive military actions aimed at halting Tehran’s nuclear weapons development.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed the operation and defended it as a strategic necessity. Sa’ar stated that the killing of Iranian nuclear scientists and senior military commanders has delayed the country’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by two to three years. He further declared that the Israeli air campaign has been "highly successful."
“The assassinated nuclear scientists had been working on Iran’s nuclear weapons program under the current regime,” Sa’ar added, asserting the legitimacy of the strikes as part of Israel’s national defense strategy.
The war began in the early hours of Friday, June 13, 2025, when Israel launched a massive air assault involving more than 200 fighter jets targeting military installations and nuclear facilities in Tehran and other strategic areas in Iran. The opening salvo resulted in the deaths of several top Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists.
Since then, Iran has responded with daily missile and drone strikes against Tel Aviv and other Israeli provinces, provoking ongoing retaliatory operations by the Israeli Defense Forces.
The targeting of nuclear scientists marks a critical and controversial dimension of the current conflict, drawing international concern over the potential for further escalation and the targeting of civilian professionals.
