How Will Iran Respond to Assassination of Its Top Nuclear Scientist?

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

Israel's Mossad was likely responsible for last week's assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

Iranian authorities will likely retaliate in their own way at a time of their choosing.

In a message to honor "prominent and distinguished scientist" Fakhrizadeh, Iran's Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei said the following:

In response to his martyrdom, the crime will be "investigate(d) and firmly prosecute(d)."

"(P)unishment" awaits the perpetrators who ordered what happened.

His "scientific and technological efforts" will continue unhindered.

President Hassan Rouhani was quoted saying:

"Our people are wiser than to fall in the trap of the Zionist regime."

"Iran will surely respond to the martyrdom of our scientist at the proper time."

"Once again, the evil hands of Global Arrogance and the Zionist mercenaries were stained with the blood of an Iranian son."

"(E)nemies of Iran should know well that the Iranian nation and officials are too brave and too courageous to leave this criminal act unanswered."

Iran's Foreign Minister tweeted the following:

"Terror attack on our scientist was indubitably designed & planned by a terrorist regime & executed by criminal accomplices." 

"Shameful that some refuse to stand against terrorism and hide behind calls for restraint." 

"Impunity emboldens a terrorist regime with aggression in its DNA."

What happened won't deter or otherwise slow Iran's legitimate nuclear program — nor efforts to defend the nation against hostile attacks from abroad.

Supporting the highest of Israeli high crimes, along with responsibility for their own, the Trump regime, Biden/Harris, the Pentagon, and most officials from both wings of the US war party declined to comment on Fakhrizadeh's assassination they clearly back.

Iranian IRGC commander General Hossein Salami said the following:

"The enemies of the Iranian nation, specially the masterminds, perpetrators and supporters of this crime, should also know that such crimes will not undermine the resolve of the Iranians to continue this glorious and power-generating path, and harsh revenge and punishment is on agenda for them." 

Iranian Quds Force commander General Esmaeil Qaani slammed "global arrogance, Zionism, and the states creating and fostering terrorism" that are responsible for assassinations " 'with American bullets.' "

Once again, UN secretary general Guterres showed contempt for the rights and welfare nations free from imperial control.

Through his spokesman, he "urge(d) restraint and the need to avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation of tensions in the region" — instead of condemning a crime against humanity, most likely committed by the Netanyahu regime. 

Iran's Tehran Times called US and Israeli leadership "masterminds of terrorism."

Likely incoming Biden/Harris regime officials endorse what happened.

On issues related to nations unwilling to subordinate their sovereign rights to US interests, Republicans and Dems are likeminded.

They support efforts to transform them into US vassal states — war by hot and other means their favored strategies.

When Biden/Harris take over in January, their regime will likely continue war on Iran by other means — how both wings of US duopoly rule operated since 1979.

The same policy applies to other independent nations, cooperative relations off the table.

The JCPOA's fate is up for grabs. 

Based on remarks by members of the Biden/Harris national security team, rejoining the landmark agreement may depend on Iran agreeing to unacceptable demands that relate to its self-defense capabilities.

Both wings of the US war party want Iran weakened militarily.

They want the country rendered vulnerable to US, NATO, and/or Israeli aggression if launched.

It took years of negotiation before agreement on JCPOA provisions was reached by P5 countries, Germany and Iran.

It's highly unlikely that President Rouhani and other senior Iranian officials will permit reworking the agreement in ways that make the nation less able to defend against foreign aggression.

Nor will they accept other demands that benefit the US, West, and Israel at the expense of the Islamic Republic and its people.

While US hot war on Iran is highly unlikely ahead, waging it by other means will continue —perhaps little or unchanged from how Trump regime hardliners operated when Biden/Harris take over.

Dems are notoriously more belligerent than Republicans.

For nearly half a century, Biden wholeheartedly supported US preemptive wars on one nonbelligerent/nonthreatening nation after another.

The pattern no doubt will continue on his watch. Perhaps another war or two in the Middle East and/or elsewhere will be launched.

All sovereign independent nations like Iran have no friends in Washington, few elsewhere in the West.

The scourge of US imperial rage to control other nations, their resources and populations continues unchanged no matter which right wing of the one-party state controls things in Washington.

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

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