Israel Warns Its Own Nuclear Scientists That Iran Could Target Them

Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,

Israel warned its nuclear scientists that they could be targets of an Iranian attack, Israeli media reported on Friday. The warning came after prominent Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed, an attack widely believed to have been carried out by Israel.

One former scientist who worked at Israel’s Dimona reactor said he was cautioned to change his daily routine. The Dimona reactor is where Israel is believed to have first secretly developed its undeclared nuclear weapons.

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According to The Times of Israel:

Nevertheless, Israel is taking precautions. Israeli scientists have been told to step up their vigilance, Kan [Israeli Public Broadcasting] reported. At least one former Dimona scientist was told to change his daily routine, not take walks along set paths, and to be vigilant about suspicious packages.

According to Kan , security officials also told him that the Iranians were likely monitoring his social media and internet activities.

Israel is estimated to have anywhere between 90 and 300 nuclear warheads, although they maintain a policy of ambiguity and officially deny possessing nuclear weapons.

The warning to Israeli scientists came after Israel warned its citizens against traveling to countries that neighbor Iran. On Thursday, Israeli media reported that the US and Israel are stepping up coordination between their militaries over fears of an Iranian attack.

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.

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) November 28, 2020

Any violence committed against US or Israeli targets between now and January 20th will likely be blamed on Iran. The assassination of Fakhrizadeh came after a report said President Trump considered attacking an Iranian nuclear site.

Israel seemed to take the news as a signal to increase provocations against Iran, while Iran warned its allies in the region to avoid provoking tension.