Iranian scientist killed in Tehran car explosion (VIDEO)
Iranian students shout slogans as they form a human chain outside the Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility during a protest in the city in support of Iran’s nuclear program and against military threats by Israel on Nov. 15, 2011.
Iran has blamed Israel for the death of a scientist killed Wednesday morning when a magnetic bomb that had been attached to his car exploded in the capital Tehran, Agence France Presse reported.
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The dead man has been identified by local media as Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, 32, a scientist and lecturer at Tehran University.
Two passengers were injured in attack, and have been taken to hospital.
The governor of Tehran province, Safar Ali Bratloo, told Iran's Arabic Al-Alam broadcaster:
"The responsibility of this explosion falls on the Zionist regime … The method of this terrorist action is similar to previous actions that targeted Iran's nuclear scientists."
Iranian news agencies said the bomb had been attached to the car, which was outside the university’s east campus, where the science faculty is located, by two people on a motorbike.
Roshan worked on separating gases at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in Isfahan province, the BBC reported, citing the Fars news agency.
Iran uses gas separation to enrich uranium, and is currently the subject of international sanctions.
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On Monday the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran had started uranium enrichment at Fordo, an underground nuclear plant south-west of Tehran, the BBC reported.
Three Iranian nuclear scientists have been assassinated in similar circumstances in Iran over the past two years, AFP reported, adding that one of the attacks occurred exactly two years ago, on January 11, 2010 – when scientist Masoud Ali Mohammdi was killed.
Iranian officials have blamed previous attacks on the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, saying the United States may have participated.
Update: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton flatly denied any American role in the attack, according to Reuters. Appearing at a news conference with the prime minister of Qatar, Clinton was quoted as saying: "I want to categorically deny any United States involvement in any kind of act of violence inside Iran."
"We believe that there has to be an understanding between Iran, its neighbours and the international community that finds a way forward for it to end its provocative behaviour, end its search for nuclear weapons, and rejoin the international community," she said.
Below is a video with details on the bomb attack:
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